Chapter 19 - THE LAST TAPE
The Hawthorne underground room was scheduled to be emptied.
Police had released the remaining contents.
Claire went with Daniel.
They found ordinary things.
Old contracts.
Tax files.
Family photographs.
Then Daniel noticed a cassette taped beneath the desk.
No label.
They played it.
Rose Bennett’s voice appeared.
Claire sat down immediately.
“I don’t know whether my daughter will ever hear this.”
Rose said.
“But if she does, I want her to understand something.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
“I was afraid of Eleanor Hawthorne.”
“I was also afraid of what the truth would cost.”
“So I waited.”
“And waiting allowed powerful people to keep hurting others.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Rose continued.
“If Claire ever becomes part of that family, I pray she understands that love does not require blindness.”
“You can love someone and still demand the truth from them.”
“You can forgive someone and still refuse to return to who you were before they hurt you.”
Ethan was not there.
But Claire knew those words were for both of them.
Then Rose said something unexpected.
“The original ownership documents are not the most important thing I found.”
Claire and Daniel looked at each other.
“There is one final account.”
“It is not controlled by Eleanor.”
“It is controlled by someone Richard trusts.”
“If that account is ever opened, it will show where the missing Hawthorne money actually went.”
Daniel stopped the tape.
“What missing money?”
They checked the ledger.
Near the final page was an account number neither had noticed.
May you like
The balance listed beside it was from thirty years ago.
$68,400,000.
