Chapter 11 - THE WILL DIANE NEVER WANTED FOUND
Frank's official will left most of his estate to Diane, with smaller trusts for Jason, Brooke, and grandchildren.
Nothing about it had seemed unusual.
Jason claimed there was an earlier version.
One that placed independent trustees over the grandchildren's money and limited Diane's control.
"Why would Frank change it?" I asked Mara.
"Maybe he did," she said. "Maybe he did not. We prove documents, not suspicions."
The clue came from Frank's old accountant, Harold Sloane.
He was seventy-four and retired in Wisconsin.
When Mara's investigator reached him, Harold remembered Frank asking for copies of estate documents shortly before his death.
He also remembered something stranger.
Two days after Frank died, Diane called his office demanding that all draft estate files be destroyed as "obsolete."
Harold refused because his firm's retention policy required storage.
A copy still existed.
The earlier will was real.
It named an independent bank as trustee for all grandchildren.
It also contained a clause requiring a full accounting of family investment entities before Diane could inherit certain business interests.
The later will removed both protections.
That did not automatically make the later will invalid.
But the signature page raised questions.
Frank's signature looked unusually shaky.
The witnesses were Diane's personal assistant and a contractor who had done renovation work at her condo.
More troubling, the date of execution fell during Frank's hospital stay after heavy medication.
A probate attorney joined Mara's team.
For the first time, Diane faced questions she could not answer by calling me ungrateful.
Jason requested another settlement meeting.
This time he came without Diane.
We sat in separate rooms while lawyers moved between us.
His offer was simple.
He would consent to me having sole residential custody, pay support, and sign away any claim to my savings.
In exchange, I would agree not to cooperate in any investigation of the trust or Frank's will.
I looked at Mara.
"Can he actually ask that?"
"People can ask for almost anything."
"Then my answer is no."
An hour later, Jason asked to speak to me directly.
Mara allowed five minutes with both attorneys present.
He looked older than he had two weeks earlier.
"Emily, Mom is going to destroy Brooke and me before she lets anyone take control from her."
"You helped her."
"I know."
It was the first time he had said those words without adding an excuse.
"Then tell the truth."
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"If I do, she will say the trust transfers were my idea."
"Were they?"
Jason looked at me.
He did not answer.
That silence told me more than a confession.
Then his lawyer interrupted.
"Jason, do not continue."
But Jason had already started.
May you like
"There is one more recording," he said. "Dad made it the night before he died."
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