Chapter 12 - The Unknown Number
The unknown number belonged to Raymond Shaw’s private investigator, Ellis Monroe.
Monroe had worked for Cedric during the divorce.
He had also entered Ellison House twice after midnight in the month before Jordan opened the cabinet.
Security gate records confirmed it.
Monroe agreed to speak only after receiving a subpoena.
He denied destroying anything.
He said Cedric hired him to inventory “sensitive family papers.”
Detective Foster asked why a private investigator needed to do that after midnight.
Monroe had no good answer.
Then investigators showed him messages.
Cedric:
Remove anything Adrian can weaponize.
Monroe:
What about Thomas originals?
Cedric:
Basement box until closing.
Monroe stopped talking.
His lawyer requested a break.
When questioning resumed, Monroe’s story changed.
Cedric had ordered documents moved from the cabinet into the steel basement box.
But one group remained behind.
The Redwood ledger.
The letter to Jordan.
“Why leave those?” Lena asked.
“Cedric couldn’t find the basement key.”
Jordan had found it because it had been accidentally left in the cabinet after Monroe returned it to the wrong place.
A mundane mistake.
No grand conspiracy.
One tired investigator tying a brass key to the wrong ribbon.
That error brought Adrian back.
Miriam asked how Adrian knew.
Adrian finally admitted another secret.
He had someone inside the mansion.
Celia Grant, the house manager.
Danielle stared.
“Celia?”
“She contacted me six months ago.”
Celia had worked at Ellison House for twelve years.
Jordan adored her.
Cedric trusted her with groceries and staff schedules.
He did not know she had begun photographing documents after noticing late-night visitors.
“Why didn’t she go to police?” Danielle asked.
“She didn’t know what was criminal,” Adrian said. “She knew something felt wrong.”
Celia had texted Adrian the day she saw Monroe handling the brass key.
She told him Cedric was moving Thomas’s papers into the basement.
Adrian returned secretly weeks later.
He entered through the old service passage Celia unlocked from outside.
The night Jordan screamed was Adrian’s second attempt to retrieve the steel box.
Danielle became angry.
“You were already sneaking onto the property before I called you?”
“Yes.”
“So you lied when you said I brought you back.”
“I said you made me stay.”
“That is not the same thing.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Another partial truth.
Jordan overheard enough to become upset.
“Everybody lies.”
Danielle went to him.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Your uncle should’ve told us.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“He’s right.”
Jordan stared.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was afraid Cedric would find out Celia helped.”
“So you protected her by lying.”
“Yes.”
Jordan frowned.
“That’s what Dad says.”
Adrian flinched.
He had no answer.
Jordan continued.
“He says lies are okay when they protect people.”
Danielle looked at Adrian.
There it was.
The difference between intention and method.
A person could tell himself he was protecting someone while still taking away everyone else’s ability to choose.
Adrian crouched.
“You’re right.”
Jordan looked surprised.
“I should have told your mom and Miriam once you were safe.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Habit.”
“What habit?”
“Running from consequences.”
Jordan considered.
“Are you going to run now?”
“No.”
Adrian told Detective Foster everything about Celia.
Celia was interviewed.
She had done nothing criminal by photographing household documents she encountered during her job, though legal questions remained about privacy.
More importantly, she had one photograph from three months earlier.
Cedric meeting Martin Vale in the basement office.
On the table lay the Redwood agreement.
Beside it lay the forged co-trustee resignation.
Martin had seen it.
Redwood could no longer plausibly claim total ignorance.
Martin’s cooperation increased immediately.
He disclosed a side agreement Cedric had demanded.
After closing, Redwood would lease a luxury condominium to Cedric for ten years at one dollar annually.
Another hidden personal benefit.
The trust sale was increasingly obvious self-dealing.
Jordan asked Miriam:
“Does Dad really need that much money?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Miriam thought.
“Some people stop measuring money by what they need.”
“What do they measure?”
“Winning.”
Jordan looked toward the window.
“Did Grandpa Thomas know Dad was like that?”
“He knew your father struggled with control.”
“Why did he leave him in charge?”
Miriam sighed.
“Because parents can love their children and still hope they’ll become better.”
Jordan understood that better than she expected.
He still hoped Cedric would become better too.
Then Danielle received a letter.
Not from lawyers.
From Cedric.
He was prohibited from contacting Jordan directly, but he could send Danielle communications about legal matters.
The letter contained one sentence unrelated to court.
You are teaching him to fear me.
Danielle stared at it.
Jordan already feared him.
That was why Cedric dragged him toward the basement.
That was why his breathing changed before the door even opened.
Cedric had built the fear.
Now he wanted Danielle blamed for naming it.
She placed the letter into the evidence folder.
May you like
No response.
For once, Cedric would not receive the reaction he wanted.
