Chapter 16 - Behind the Blue Wall
Graham survived the shooting.
Barely.
Under armed guard, he gave prosecutors a statement and turned over the laptop.
Arthur went home with Reed, Clara, and a forensic contractor.
Rebecca’s old study had become Elena’s dressing room.
The blue wall was now cream.
Arthur stood in front of it remembering Rebecca sitting cross-legged on the floor with paint samples.
“Too dramatic?” she had asked.
He had kissed her and said, “You are dramatic.”
She had thrown a paintbrush at him.
For five years, grief had turned that memory into something he could barely touch.
Now it was evidence.
The contractor ran a stud scanner along the wall.
“There’s a cavity here.”
He cut a rectangle from the drywall.
Inside was a small metal cash box.
Arthur’s hands shook as he opened it.
Rebecca’s handwriting covered the top envelope.
ARTHUR — IF I’M WRONG, BURN THIS AND CALL ME PARANOID.
He sat down.
Maria, who had come with Evan only after Reed declared the house secure, stayed near the doorway.
Arthur opened the envelope.
Rebecca had documented everything.
Dates.
Transfers.
Names.
Phone calls from Elena.
Meetings with Graham.
A note about Lucas threatening to expose private medical information if she pursued the audit.
And one final page.
I THINK ELENA IS USING GRAHAM TO SCARE ME. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, DO NOT LET HER NEAR EVAN’S MONEY. SHE ASKED TOO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRUST.
Arthur could not read the last sentence twice.
He gave the letter to Reed and walked out of the room.
Evan was sitting on the stairs.
“Was that Mom’s?”
Arthur nodded.
“Did she know?”
“She knew people were trying to scare her.”
“Did she know she was going to die?”
Arthur sat beside him.
“I don’t think so.”
Evan leaned into his shoulder.
“Did she protect me?”
“Yes.”
Arthur looked toward the open wall.
“She protected you before either of us understood from what.”
Reed came into the hall.
“We have enough for warrants.”
“For Elena?”
“And Lucas. Fraud, conspiracy, witness tampering. Prosecutors are reviewing Rebecca’s case for homicide charges.”
Arthur nodded.
Then Clara’s phone buzzed.
She read the message and swore.
“What now?”
“Elena’s attorneys filed an emergency motion.”
“For what?”
“Temporary control over Evan’s trust.”
Arthur stared at her.
“On what basis?”
Clara looked sick.
“They’re claiming you’re mentally unfit and that your recent conduct proves you’re endangering the trust corpus.”
“That’s insane.”
“It gets better.”
She turned the screen toward him.
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Attached was a psychiatric evaluation.
Signed by Arthur’s own longtime doctor.
