Chapter 8 - THE LOCKED OFFICE
Margaret’s private office was not at her house.
It was inside an old Caldwell Development property downtown.
Technically, the room belonged to the company.
That meant Sarah could request preservation without trespassing.
By midnight, a court order prevented Margaret from removing anything.
Monday morning, forensic investigators entered.
The office contained twenty years of records.
Margaret believed in paper.
Apparently criminals sometimes do too.
There were trust documents.
Personal loan agreements.
Board notes.
Copies of Daniel’s fertility records.
And a folder labeled L.G.C.
Lily Grace Caldwell.
My hands shook when Sarah placed it in front of me.
Inside was the fake DNA report.
The digital file metadata identified the computer where it had been created.
Margaret’s office.
There was also an invoice from a freelance graphic designer.
DOCUMENT RECREATION SERVICES.
Three hundred fifty dollars.
She had paid someone to imitate a laboratory form.
But the worst page was handwritten.
Lily confirmed as Daniel’s biological child through hospital blood typing.
Do not disclose.
I read it twice.
Daniel stood beside me.
His face collapsed.
“She knew before she made the fake report.”
Sarah nodded.
Hospital blood typing alone could not legally prove paternity.
But attached to the note were records showing Margaret had secretly commissioned a legitimate DNA test using stored medical samples.
That test returned a 99.99 percent probability.
Two months later, she created the false negative test.
Daniel sat down.
“My mother knew.”
“Yes.”
I said.
“She always knew.”
Another folder contained notes about Noah’s trust position.
If Lily remains eligible, D branch controls votes.
Claire influence unacceptable.
Transfer must occur before annual assignment.
Sarah looked at me.
“There’s your motive.”
But I kept reading.
A later note stopped me.
If C challenges, use marriage issue.
If necessary, reveal J.
“Who is J?”
I asked.
Nobody answered.
Jessica suddenly looked away.
I noticed.
“Jessica.”
She shook her head.
“It might mean nothing.”
“What is J?”
Mark stared at his wife.
“Jess?”
Her eyes filled.
“I think it means Julia.”
Daniel froze.
I looked at him.
“Who is Julia?”
He did not answer.
Jessica did.
“Daniel’s former assistant.”
My stomach tightened.
“How former?”
“Four years ago.”
“Was he sleeping with her?”
Daniel stood.
“No.”
Too fast.
I looked at him.
“Daniel.”
“No.”
Then Jessica said the sentence that reopened every crack in my marriage.
“Maybe not.”
May you like
She looked toward Daniel.
“But Margaret paid Julia eighty thousand dollars to disappear.”
