Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Her name was Evelyn Reed.
She lived in a small house outside Evanston.
She opened the door holding a kitchen knife.
When she saw the photograph in my hand, she froze.
"Where did you get that?"
"My father."
She stared at me.
"Richard?"
I nodded.
Her face softened.
"You look just like him."
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"That's because it's true."
I held up the photograph.
"Who are you?"
"Evelyn."
"What was your relationship with my father?"
She looked away.
"I was his accountant."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Then you know about the trust."
Evelyn's face went pale.
"You found it."
"Not yet."
She sighed.
"Come inside."
We sat around a tiny kitchen table.
Evelyn opened an old metal box.
Inside were dozens of documents.
She spread them across the table.
"Your father discovered something in 2003."
"What?"
"Money had been disappearing from Harrison Development."
"How much?"
"Almost seventy million dollars."
I stared at her.
"Who stole it?"
"Your grandmother."
My stomach dropped.
"Why?"
"She was moving money into offshore accounts."
"Jonathan?"
"No."
She looked at me.
"Someone else."
"Who?"
Evelyn pushed forward a document.
I recognized the account number.
It belonged to my father.
"But that doesn't make sense."
"Your father created a secret account to recover the money."
"And the trust?"
"That was where he intended to put it."
I looked at Sophie.
She was sitting quietly beside me.
"Why would he leave it to her?"
"Because he believed you would become exactly like him."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"He believed money could corrupt people."
Evelyn smiled sadly.
"He wanted Sophie to inherit something money couldn't control."
"What?"
"Proof."
"Proof of what?"
Evelyn opened another file.
Inside was a list of names.
Judges.
Bankers.
Politicians.
Executives.
Police officers.
And at the top—
Jonathan Cole.
I felt my pulse racing.
"Jonathan was involved?"
"From the beginning."
"What did he do?"
"He helped your grandmother move the money."
I looked at Daniel.
"This could destroy him."
Evelyn nodded.
"That's why he'll do anything to get the trust."
"Where is it?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Then who does?"
Evelyn looked at Sophie.
The little girl was staring at the documents.
Suddenly, she reached into her backpack.
"Mom gave me something."
She pulled out a tiny pink envelope.
My heart stopped.
"What's inside?"
Sophie opened it.
A key fell onto the table.
Not black.
Gold.
Evelyn whispered,
"Oh my God."
"What?"
May you like
She looked terrified.
"That's your father's vault key."
