Chapter 9: The Blackmail File
The word *BLACKMAIL* stared back at me from the envelope at the bottom of the safe.
Outside, someone knocked again.
“Mr. Mercer, open the door.””
Dad's face had lost all color.
I picked up the envelope.
“What is this?””
“Put it down,” Dad whispered.
“Why?””
“Because you don't know what's inside.””
“That hasn't stopped you before.””
Brent moved closer.
“Cassidy, don't open it here.””
I looked at him.
“Why not?””
“Because once you see it, you can't unsee it.””
A hard knock rattled the front door.
Mom flinched.
Dad whispered, “Give me the envelope.””
I held it against my chest.
“No.””
“Cassidy.””
“You've had twenty years.””
He stared at me.
“You don't get another minute.””
I broke the seal.
Inside was a stack of photographs, printed emails, copies of bank records, and a handwritten list.
The first photograph made my breath catch.
It showed a man standing outside the duplex on Willow Street.
My grandfather.
Beside him was a woman I didn't recognize.
I turned the photograph over.
*March 2005 — two weeks before he died.*
The next photograph showed the same woman entering a building.
The next showed my father meeting her.
Then Brent.
I looked at him.
“Who is she?””
He didn't answer.
Dad said, “It doesn't matter.””
I pulled out the next document.
It was a legal correspondence between Grandpa and an attorney.
One sentence was underlined.
*Richard Mercer has no authority to alter or dispose of Cassidy Mercer's beneficial interest.*
I kept reading.
There were accusations of unauthorized withdrawals.
Misuse of estate funds.
Attempts to conceal rental income.
And one phrase that appeared repeatedly:
*Potential criminal conversion.*
I looked at Dad.
“You knew Grandpa suspected you.””
“He was confused near the end.””
“Then why did he document everything?””
Dad's lips trembled.
“He was angry.””
I pulled out another page.
This one was an email.
It was from Dad to someone whose name was blacked out.
*If Cassidy discovers the trust, she'll destroy everything. We need her signature before she asks questions.*
My skin prickled.
The email was dated six months earlier.
I looked at Brent.
“You knew about this.””
He shook his head.
“I knew something was happening.””
“Something?””
“I didn't know the details.””
“Then why were you part of the refinance?””
“Because Dad told me we had to finish it.””
I found another document.
A spreadsheet listing debts.
Mortgage arrears.
Credit cards.
Medical bills.
Private loans.
And beside several of them:
*Covered using Cassidy funds.*
My stomach turned.
I kept reading.
Then I reached the handwritten list.
There were names.
Dates.
Amounts.
At the bottom, one sentence:
*If Cassidy refuses to sign, release the evidence concerning the Mercer companies.*
I looked up.
“What does that mean?””
Brent stared at the paper.
“I told you not to open it.””
“You knew.””
He nodded.
“What evidence?””
“I don't know all of it.””
I raised my voice.
“Then tell me what you do know.””
Brent looked at Dad.
Dad shook his head.
Brent ignored him.
“Those companies aren't legitimate businesses.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“They were created to move money.””
“Whose money?””
“Ours.””
“My money.””
He nodded.
I felt sick.
“So you laundered it?””
“No.””
“Then what did you do?””
“We moved it between accounts so nobody could trace where it came from.””
“That sounds like laundering.””
Brent closed his eyes.
“I know.””
Mom whispered, “Stop talking.””
I turned toward her.
“Why?””
She looked terrified.
“Because someone is listening.””
A chill moved through me.
“What?””
Mom pointed toward the ceiling.
Dad's eyes widened.
“The cameras.””
I looked around.
“What cameras?””
She pointed toward the corner of the dining room.
There, above the smoke detector, was a tiny black lens.
I stared.
“You put cameras in the house?””
Dad shook his head.
“Not me.””
Brent looked at the device.
His expression changed.
“Dad…”
“I didn't install those.””
The police knocked again.
“Mr. Mercer, this is your final warning.””
I picked up the phone.
“Should I tell them?””
Dad stepped toward me.
“Tell them what?””
“That there are cameras inside the house.””
He froze.
“Don't.””
“Why?””
“Because they aren't ours.””
“Whose are they?””
No answer.
Brent walked toward the wall and examined the device.
“That one's wireless.””
“How do you know?””
“I installed security systems for some of my clients.””
“You said you had real-estate companies.””
“I did.””
“You've lied about nearly everything.””
He looked at me.
“I know.””
The front door opened.
A police officer entered, followed by another officer carrying a folder.
“Everyone stay where you are.””
Dad raised his hands.
“We'll cooperate.””
The first officer looked at him.
“Richard Mercer?””
“Yes.””
“I'm Detective Alvarez.””
He held out a document.
“We have a warrant for financial records, electronic devices, and documents relating to the Mercer Holdings investigation.””
My heart stopped.
“Investigation?””
Detective Alvarez looked at me.
“Ms. Mercer?””
“Yes.””
“You're Cassidy Mercer?””
“Yes.””
He nodded.
“We've been trying to contact you.””
“Why?””
“You are listed as the primary victim.””
Dad shut his eyes.
Mom began crying.
Brent sat heavily in a chair.
I looked at the detective.
“Victim of what?””
“Unauthorized use of financial authority, suspected fraud, and potential theft involving a protected trust.””
My father whispered, “This is a family matter.””
Detective Alvarez's expression didn't change.
“No, sir. It isn't.””
He gestured to another officer.
“Secure the safe.””
I stepped aside.
The officer saw the open safe.
“Who opened it?””
“I did.””
“Anything missing?””
“No.””
Detective Alvarez looked at the documents in my hands.
“What's that?””
I held up the black envelope.
“Evidence, apparently.””
He took it carefully.
He pulled out the first document.
Then stopped.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He looked at Dad.
“Mr. Mercer, where did you get these?””
Dad said nothing.
Detective Alvarez turned back to me.
“Did you know about the offshore account?””
“No.””
He glanced at the papers.
“Did you know about Mercer Holdings?””
“I knew about it today.””
“Did you know there were three companies?””
“No.””
He nodded toward Brent.
“And him?””
Brent swallowed.
“I know her.””
Detective Alvarez almost smiled.
“That wasn't my question.””
Brent lowered his head.
The officer beside him said, “We've got records showing transfers through all three entities.””
I looked at Brent.
“You said you lost most of the money.””
“I did.””
“So where did the rest go?””
He was silent.
Detective Alvarez answered.
“Some went to creditors.””
I stared at him.
“And the rest?””
He looked at the evidence.
“Some went into a property purchase.””
My heart skipped.
“What property?””
He looked at Brent.
“A lake house.””
Silence.
“You bought a lake house?””
Brent rubbed his face.
“It wasn't in my name.””
“Whose name?””
He didn't answer.
Detective Alvarez did.
“Your father's.””
Dad's face crumpled.
I stared at him.
“You bought a lake house with my money.””
“It wasn't supposed to happen.””
“Nothing was supposed to happen.””
Dad looked at me.
“We were drowning.””
“And instead of asking me for help, you stole from me.””
“I was ashamed.””
“You should have been.””
He bowed his head.
Detective Alvarez opened another document from the envelope.
“There's something else.””
He looked at me.
“This appears to be a settlement agreement.””
“What settlement?””
“With your grandfather's estate.””
“I've never seen it.””
He handed me a copy.
The document stated that my father had received a payment to relinquish his management rights over my trust.
The date was my twenty-first birthday.
The payment amount:
*$50,000.*
I looked at Dad.
“You were paid to give up control.””
He whispered, “Yes.””
“But you didn't.””
“No.””
“Why?””
He said nothing.
Detective Alvarez continued reading.
“It also says the bank was instructed to notify Cassidy directly upon her twenty-first birthday.””
I looked at the detective.
“Why didn't they?””
“We don't know.””
Then he held up another sheet.
“This may explain it.””
I read the letter.
It was addressed to the bank.
The signature was my father's.
*Please direct all future trust correspondence to me, as Cassidy has relocated and is unable to manage financial affairs.*
My hands shook.
“I never relocated.””
Detective Alvarez nodded.
“Exactly.””
I looked at Dad.
“You told the bank I couldn't manage my affairs twenty years ago.””
He looked defeated.
“I was trying to buy time.””
“For twenty years?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I was going to fix it.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You were going to keep taking it.””
Nobody spoke.
Detective Alvarez turned to Brent.
“Where is the current trust account?””
Brent swallowed.
“Still at First National.””
“Balance?””
“I don't know.””
I thought of the statement.
Almost five hundred thousand.
Detective Alvarez looked at me.
“Do you have access?””
“I don't know.””
He nodded.
“We'll find out.””
An officer approached.
“Detective, there's a problem.””
“What?””
“Someone remotely wiped the computer in the office.””
Dad looked at Brent.
Brent stood.
“I didn't do that.””
The officer held up a second device.
“And someone tried to access the trust account fourteen minutes ago.””
I felt my pulse spike.
“From where?””
The detective studied the report.
Then looked at me.
“The attempt came from this house.””
Dad whispered, “Impossible.””
I looked around.
Everyone was standing in the kitchen.
Nobody was near the office.
Then I noticed something.
The laptop on the dining-room desk.
The one I'd left open.
Its screen had gone black.
A single line appeared.
*REMOTE SESSION ACTIVE.*
I backed away.
Detective Alvarez immediately reached for his radio.
“Disconnect every device in the house.””
The laptop screen flickered.
A folder opened by itself.
Inside was a video file.
Filename:
*CASSIDY — WATCH THIS BEFORE COURT.*
I stared at it.
“Don't open it,” the detective said.
But before anyone could touch the computer, the video began playing.
My grandfather appeared on screen.
Older.
Pale.
Sitting behind the same desk I remembered from childhood.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If Cassidy is seeing this,” he said, “then Richard failed to follow my instructions.””
Dad stumbled backward.
Grandpa continued.
“I warned you, Richard. I told you exactly what would happen if you touched her trust.””
The video paused.
Then his expression changed.
“There's one final thing Cassidy needs to know.””
Everyone in the room leaned toward the screen.
Grandpa looked directly into the camera.
“Your father did not put you on the deed to protect your inheritance.””
I held my breath.
“He put you on it because the original owner of this house was not him.””
The screen flickered.
May you like
Then the next sentence appeared.
“Cassidy, this house was already yours.””
