Chapter 5 - THE CALL MY FATHER NEVER ANSWERED
Julian Cavanaugh had ignored a call that might have saved his wife.
For six years, he'd hidden that fact behind work, lawyers, and locked doors.
Now he was telling us in the room where Mom once read bedtime stories.
“Thomas called me at 9:18,” Dad whispered.
I looked toward him.
“The night Mom died?”
He nodded.
“He said Caroline was in danger.”
My stomach twisted.
“What did you do?”
Julian closed his eyes.
“I was in a meeting with Victor.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You were with Victor while Mom was asking for help?”
“I didn't know the full situation.”
Theo laughed bitterly.
“That's your favorite excuse.”
Dad didn't defend himself.
For once, he simply stood there.
Ashamed.
“Thomas left a message,” he continued. “He said Caroline had copies of the original accounts.”
Eleanor gripped the back of a chair.
“What happened to the message?”
Julian looked away.
“I deleted it.”
Nobody moved.
I felt something inside me break.
“You deleted it?”
“I couldn't listen to her name without—”
“Without what?” I shouted. “Feeling guilty?”
Eleanor moved closer.
“Mason.”
I stepped back.
“No. He doesn't get to do this.”
My voice cracked.
“Mom was trying to protect people, and Dad was too busy protecting his company.”
Julian looked as if I'd struck him.
Maybe I had.
But I couldn't stop.
“For six years, we've been living inside a house where nobody talks about her. And now we find out you knew there were questions about her death?”
Dad's eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell us?”
“Because I was afraid you'd hate me.”
I stared at him.
“Dad, we already thought you didn't care.”
He covered his face.
The room fell silent.
Then Eleanor spoke.
“We need to separate what Julian failed to do from what anyone may have done to Caroline.”
Her voice was steady.
“Guilt isn't proof of murder. The records have to be examined.”
I knew she was right.
That didn't make the anger disappear.
Detective Morgan returned later with investigators specializing in financial crimes.
They recovered archived communications from Mom's study and Victor's administrative records.
Some had been deleted.
Others were incomplete.
But one email stood out.
It was addressed to Thomas Hargrove.
Sent three days before Mom's death.
Thomas, if anything happens to me, don't let them silence Julian's children.
I stared.
Mom had been thinking about us.
Even while frightened.
Then came the next paragraph.
Victor believes the money belongs to him. But the transfer documents are false.
My heart pounded.
“What transfer documents?”
Detective Morgan checked the attachments.
Her expression changed.
The documents concerned a family trust established by my grandfather.
A trust intended to protect the four Cavanaugh sons.
Its value was enormous.
But someone had attempted to change the controlling administrator after Mom died.
The person listed as the new administrator was Victor Sloane.
And beneath his name was a handwritten instruction.
IF JULIAN BECOMES INCAPACITATED, THE CHILDREN MUST BE SEPARATED.
I stared at the sentence.
Then looked toward Eleanor.
She was already crying.
Because the document explained something terrifying.
May you like
Someone wasn't merely trying to steal our money.
They were preparing to break our family apart.
