Chapter 4: The Second Account
“Harold promised he would never find out about the second account.””
Diane's whisper seemed to drain every bit of warmth from the study.
My father slowly lifted his head.
“What second account?””
Diane didn't answer.
Mr. Bennett pressed the playback button again.
The recording crackled before a woman's voice filled the room.
“My name is Evelyn Price. I was assigned to the Collins family case on November 14, 2018. I am making this statement because I believe a child's identity and financial interests were deliberately misrepresented.””
I gripped the edge of Grandpa's desk.
The voice continued.
“Richard Collins arrived at the hospital with his daughter, Maya. He stated that the child's mother was unavailable and that his wife, Diane Collins, would be acting as the temporary guardian.””
Laura covered her mouth.
“That was a lie,” she whispered.
Mr. Bennett nodded.
“I know.””
The recording continued.
“During my interview, Richard appeared distressed. Diane, however, repeatedly answered questions on his behalf. When I asked for Laura Collins's consent, Diane presented a document bearing what she claimed was Laura's signature.””
My father stared at the recorder.
“I remember that day,” he muttered.
Diane snapped her head toward him.
“Then remember what actually happened.””
“I remember you telling me Laura had signed everything.””
“She had.””
“No, she hadn't. You told me you spoke to her lawyer.””
Diane stepped toward him.
“Richard, you were falling apart. You couldn't make a decision without crying.””
He looked at her.
“And you helped me?””
“I kept this family together!””
Laura's voice trembled.
“You destroyed my family.””
Diane pointed at her.
“You were never going to give Richard what he needed.””
“What did he need?”” Laura demanded.
“A wife who would agree with everything? A woman who would let him forget his daughter existed?””
My father stood.
“Stop it. Both of you.””
Mr. Bennett raised one hand.
“Please. We need to hear the entire recording.””
The voice of Evelyn Price resumed.
“On November 16, I discovered that Maya Collins was the beneficiary of a financial trust established by her maternal grandfather, Harold Collins. The account contained approximately $2.4 million. I was informed that the guardian would have limited authority to manage approved expenses.””
I looked at Mr. Bennett.
“Was that my money?””
“Your maternal grandfather and Harold both contributed to the trust,” he explained.
“It was established for your future.””
I remembered Grandpa telling me that money wasn't important.
Apparently, he had been trying to protect something much more important than money.
The recording continued.
“Two days later, I received instructions to update the guardian designation. The new paperwork listed Diane Collins as the sole authorized representative. I questioned this change because the original documents required independent approval.””
Diane's face had become almost colorless.
Mr. Bennett paused the recording.
“Mrs. Collins, do you remember signing those documents?””
She lifted her chin.
“I signed whatever Harold asked me to sign.””
“That's interesting.””
“What?””
“The documents were signed three years before Harold established the trust.””
Diane stared at him.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then she laughed.
“You're twisting dates to make me look guilty.””
Mr. Bennett removed another sheet from his folder.
“No. I'm reading dates from documents your husband preserved.””
He placed it on the desk.
“This is the original authorization. Your signature appears twice. Once as the guardian and once as the person requesting the transfer of funds.””
My father leaned over the page.
“Diane, what did you do?””
She pulled her handbag closer.
“Nothing that wasn't necessary.””
“Where did the money go?””
“Ask your father.””
“He's dead!””
“And he left you a house, a business, and a little girl who thinks you're a hero. What more do you want?””
I flinched.
Laura moved beside me.
“Don't speak to her like that.””
Diane looked at her with disgust.
“You've been gone for years. You don't get to come back and play mother.””
Laura didn't shout.
She simply reached for my hand.
“I don't need to play anything.””
I held her fingers.
They were trembling.
Mr. Bennett restarted the recording.
“On December 3, 2018, I received a phone call from Diane Collins. She instructed me to close the original account and establish a replacement account under a different management structure.””
A pause.
Then Evelyn's voice became quieter.
“She said the child would never need to know.””
My father sat down again.
“Oh, God.””
Diane moved toward the door.
Mr. Bennett stood immediately.
“Mrs. Collins, please remain here.””
“I'm leaving.””
“You may leave if you wish. But I suggest you understand that the recording has already been copied and preserved.””
She stopped.
“You wouldn't dare.””
“I already have.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“Harold gave you a lot of money, didn't he?””
Mr. Bennett looked almost disappointed.
“Your husband paid me to protect his granddaughter. Not to protect his estate.””
Diane stared at him.
Then she turned toward me.
“You think this makes you rich?””
I didn't answer.
She came closer.
“Do you know how much Harold spent keeping this family together? Do you know how many times he paid your father's debts? How many times he covered for him?””
My father lowered his head.
“Diane, stop.””
“No. She should know.””
She pointed at me.
“Your grandfather spent years cleaning up after your father. Your father couldn't manage his own life, let alone raise a child. I was the one who kept a roof over your head.””
Laura stepped forward.
“You were the one who told me my daughter was dead.””
Diane's mouth tightened.
“And you believed it.””
The words were so cruel that even my father looked away.
Laura's eyes filled.
“I believed my husband.””
For a moment, Diane seemed to enjoy the pain she had caused.
Then Mr. Bennett opened another folder.
“There's something else.””
He placed a bank statement on the desk.
It showed several transfers made between 2019 and 2023.
The first was for $150,000.
The second was for $275,000.
The third was for $410,000.
There were dozens more.
I stared at the numbers.
“Where did all that money go?””
Mr. Bennett pointed to the receiving account.
“Several transfers went to a company called DC Property Holdings.””
Diane's lips parted.
My father looked at her.
“DC?””
“It's a property company.””
“Who owns it?””
She didn't answer.
Mr. Bennett did.
“Diane Collins.””
My father stood again.
“You used Maya's trust to buy property?””
“I invested it!””
“You stole from my daughter!””
“I protected it from your incompetence!””
The room erupted.
Richard slammed his hand against the desk.
“You had no right!””
Diane leaned toward him.
“You signed the authorization!””
“I thought the money was for her future!””
“And I made sure there would be a future to fund!””
Mr. Bennett lifted another document.
“Unfortunately, the property company did not generate the returns you reported.””
Diane went still.
“What are you talking about?””
“The company was registered at an address that belongs to a vacant office building. Its financial statements contain several discrepancies.””
“That isn't possible.””
“Then you should have no trouble explaining them.””
Diane's eyes flickered toward the hallway.
My father noticed.
“Where are you going?””
She ignored him.
Mr. Bennett closed the folder.
“Mrs. Collins, there is one final matter. Your husband discovered the second account shortly before his death.””
Diane froze.
I looked at him.
“What second account?””
Mr. Bennett picked up a small sheet of paper from the package.
“An account that received money from the original trust after the first account was supposedly closed.””
“Whose name was on it?”” I asked.
He looked at the document.
“Not yours.””
“Then whose?””
He turned the paper toward me.
The name printed on the account was unmistakable.
*Emily Collins.*
Diane's daughter.
My cousin.
I remembered Emily standing by the window at Grandpa's memorial, looking uncomfortable when her mother shouted at me.
I remembered her giving me half her sandwich during a family picnic because Diane had refused to let me have dessert.
Emily had always been kind to me.
I couldn't understand why her name was on the account.
“Did Emily know?”” I asked.
Mr. Bennett shook his head.
“We don't know yet.””
Diane suddenly began crying.
Not the delicate tears she had displayed at the funeral.
These were different.
Angry. Desperate.
“She had nothing to do with this.””
My father stared at her.
“Then why is her name on the account?””
“Because I was protecting her!””
“From what?””
Diane looked at me.
For the first time, I saw something that looked almost like regret.
Then she said quietly:
“Because Emily wasn't the only child Harold had been protecting.””
Mr. Bennett's expression changed.
“What do you mean?””
Diane looked toward the locked cabinet.
Then she looked at the recorder.
“There's another document.””
Mr. Bennett stepped closer.
“What document?””
Diane swallowed.
“The original beneficiary agreement.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
She looked directly at me.
“It means the money wasn't supposed to belong to you alone.””
Before anyone could respond, the doorbell rang.
My father walked toward the hallway.
A moment later, I heard a familiar voice.
“Is Maya here?””
It was Emily.
She entered the study holding a large brown envelope.
Her eyes were red.
When she saw me, she stopped.
“Maya, I'm sorry.””
I looked at her.
“Sorry for what?””
Emily placed the envelope on Grandpa's desk.
“Because my mother told me what she did with the money.””
She took a shaky breath.
“And because she told me something else.””
Diane closed her eyes.
Emily looked at me.
“Your grandfather wasn't just investigating the missing money.””
May you like
She opened the envelope.
“He was trying to find out which one of us was actually entitled to inherit it.””
