Chapter 2 - The Blue Folder Was GoneBy the time Thaddeus reached the estate, two things had happened.
Bernice had taken Grayson into the boy’s bedroom.
And the blue folder had disappeared.
Thaddeus didn’t know the second part yet.
He entered through the front door so quickly Marcus barely had time to stop the SUV.
“Dad!”
Grayson’s voice came from upstairs.
Thaddeus ran.
He found his son in the hallway beside Bernice.
Still wearing the damp pajama shirt.
Hair partially dried.
Eyes swollen from crying.
Thaddeus dropped to his knees.
“Come here.”
Grayson collided with him.
Thaddeus wrapped both arms around his son.
For several seconds he said nothing.
He simply held him.
Grayson began crying again.
“I’m sorry.”
Thaddeus pulled back.
“For what?”
“Aunt Tabitha said—”
“No.”
Thaddeus cupped his face.
“You do not apologize to me for what she did.”
Grayson nodded but clearly did not believe him yet.
That hurt.
“How long has she been treating you like this?”
Grayson looked at Bernice.
Then down.
“Sometimes.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Buddy.”
“When you go away.”
Thaddeus’s chest tightened.
Most weeks, he traveled two nights.
Sometimes three.
He had believed Tabitha’s presence made those trips easier for Grayson.
He had been wrong in the worst possible way.
“What does she do?”
Grayson’s eyes filled.
“Can I tell you tomorrow?”
Thaddeus stopped.
Everything inside him wanted answers.
Now.
But his son had already spent the evening being controlled by one adult.
Thaddeus would not become another.
“Yes.”
Grayson looked surprised.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
He kissed his forehead.
“You tell me when you’re ready.”
Footsteps sounded behind them.
Tabitha appeared at the end of the hall.
Perfectly composed.
Dark slacks.
Cream blouse.
Hair pinned neatly.
If Thaddeus hadn’t seen the video, he might have believed nothing had happened.
“Thaddeus.”
He stood.
Grayson immediately moved behind him.
Thaddeus noticed.
So did Tabitha.
“You came home early.”
“Did I?”
She glanced at Bernice.
Understanding flashed across her face.
Then vanished.
“I assume someone has been exaggerating.”
Thaddeus took out his phone.
He played three seconds.
Her own voice.
“You’re nothing but a little bastard.”
Tabitha’s face emptied.
The hallway became silent.
Thaddeus stopped the video.
“Pack a bag.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re leaving.”
“You don’t even know what happened.”
“I know enough.”
“He threw a glass of water at me.”
Grayson whispered:
“No, I didn’t.”
Tabitha looked toward him.
Thaddeus stepped between them.
“Do not look at him.”
“Thaddeus, don’t be dramatic.”
“Pack.”
“This is my family home too.”
“No. It’s mine.”
Her face tightened.
Their father had transferred the estate to Thaddeus before his death.
Tabitha had never forgiven that either.
“You’re choosing a housekeeper’s recording over your sister?”
“I’m choosing what I watched with my own eyes.”
Bernice said nothing.
Tabitha looked at her.
“You sneaky old—”
Thaddeus’s voice became dangerous.
“Finish that sentence.”
Tabitha stopped.
Then smiled bitterly.
“This is what Bernice wanted.”
Bernice finally spoke.
“I wanted that boy safe.”
“You’ve always hated me.”
“I’ve known you since you were seventeen.”
“Exactly.”
Thaddeus raised a hand.
“Enough.”
Then he remembered.
The papers.
His anger narrowed.
“What did you mean in the bathroom?”
Tabitha’s eyes shifted.
“About what?”
“You said I didn’t know who signed some papers.”
“I was angry.”
“What papers?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You said it ten minutes ago.”
“So?”
“So either you tell me or I find out myself.”
Tabitha crossed her arms.
“You always do.”
Something in her tone bothered him.
Thaddeus looked at Bernice.
“The folder.”
Bernice nodded.
They went downstairs.
Tabitha followed despite being told to pack.
Thaddeus entered his study.
The desk looked untouched.
Bernice crossed toward the bottom drawer.
“I found it here.”
She opened it.
Empty.
Her face changed.
“It was here.”
Tabitha leaned against the doorway.
“Maybe you imagined it.”
Bernice turned.
“I did not.”
Thaddeus searched the drawer.
Nothing.
“What exactly did you see?”
“A blue legal folder. Grayson’s full name on the first page. Your name below.”
“What wording?”
Bernice closed her eyes.
“Petition for temporary trustee substitution.”
Thaddeus stared.
Grayson’s maternal grandfather had created a trust worth almost twelve million dollars.
Thaddeus was sole trustee until Grayson turned twenty-five.
The arrangement could not be casually changed.
“Who was the substitute trustee?”
“I didn’t see.”
Tabitha spoke behind them.
“This is ridiculous.”
Thaddeus turned.
“Why?”
“You’re letting an employee invent financial conspiracies because you’re angry at me.”
Bernice’s eyes hardened.
“I saw the folder.”
Tabitha shrugged.
“Then where is it?”
Thaddeus looked at his sister.
Too calm.
Far too calm.
He opened his computer.
Logged into the family trust portal.
The balance appeared.
He scanned it.
Then stopped.
A transfer.
$485,000.
Three weeks earlier.
Recipient:
HARBOR RIDGE FAMILY CONSULTING LLC.
Thaddeus stared.
He had never heard of it.
Another transfer appeared.
$210,000.
Same recipient.
Then another.
$95,000.
His stomach turned.
Eight hundred thousand dollars had left Grayson’s trust.
His authorization code was attached to every transaction.
Thaddeus looked at Tabitha.
She no longer looked calm.
“What is Harbor Ridge?”
“I don’t know.”
He stood.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did your face change?”
“It didn’t.”
Thaddeus opened the authorization details.
Digital approval.
Trustee:
THADDEUS MERCER.
Signature verified.
Supporting document notarized.
He clicked the scanned authorization.
His name appeared at the bottom.
His signature.
Almost perfect.
Except Thaddeus knew one thing nobody else would notice.
He had stopped using the middle initial “A” in legal signatures twelve years earlier.
This signature included it.
Thaddeus looked at his sister.
“I didn’t sign this.”
Tabitha swallowed.
He turned the page.
A witness signature appeared.
Then the notary.
Thaddeus knew the name.
Silas Crowe.
His family attorney.
The man who had handled Evelyn’s estate.
The man who had helped create Grayson’s trust.
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And according to the document—
Silas had personally watched Thaddeus sign paperwork Thaddeus had never seen.
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