Chapter 4 - The Shadow of Motive
Lorraine was escorted out of the ward in handcuffs, her sharp heels clicking against the linoleum until the double doors swung shut behind her. The hallway fell into a stunned silence before Paige pushed open the door to my room, slipping inside alongside Nolan.
Paige sank into the visitor's armchair, burying her face in her hands. "I knew she hated Clara," Paige whispered, her shoulders trembling. "I knew she resented that Nolan married someone who didn't come from her country-club social circle. But to push her down concrete steps? To leave her there? That’s not just spite. That’s insanity."
"It's not insanity," Nolan said grimly. He pulled a chair close to my bed and took my uninjured hand, his skin cold against mine. "It’s greed."
I looked at him, bewildered. "Greed? Nolan, your mother has the family house, her late husband’s pension, her investments. Why would hurting me give her anything?"
Nolan rubbed his face with his free hand, looking exhausted and years older than thirty-two. "When my father died four years ago, he left the bulk of the estate to me in trust, not to her. The house, the investment portfolio, everything. Dad knew she was reckless with money. But there was a specific stipulation in the trust document."
"What stipulation?" Paige asked, looking up.
"If I died without an heir, the entire estate reverted to Mom with zero restrictions," Nolan explained, his voice hollow. "Two months ago, I updated my will and transferred half of the real estate holdings into Clara’s name so she would be protected if anything ever happened to me. Clara became the sole beneficiary of my estate, trust included. If I died, Clara inherited everything. Lorraine got only a modest monthly stipend."
I stared at him, piecing the puzzle together in horror. "Nolan... three weeks ago, you had that close call on the turnpike when your brakes failed."
Nolan’s eyes darkened. "The mechanic said the brake line was corroded. But now? Now I don't believe in coincidences anymore. If Clara died first, and then I had an 'accident' on the road, Lorraine would be the sole living heir. The entire estate—over four million dollars—would be hers outright."
"Jesus," Paige breathed, recoiling. "She wasn't just trying to bully Clara out of the family. She was clearing the board."
Before Nolan could reply, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a call from our bank’s fraud alert division. He put it on speaker.
"Mr. Vance?" a representative said. "We are calling to verify a wire transfer request of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars initiated from your joint account an hour ago. The authorization came via an external IP address registered to a private office in downtown."
Nolan’s jaw hardened. "Cancel it immediately. Freeze every single account tied to my Social Security number and my mother's power of attorney. She has no legal right to touch those funds."
"Right away, sir. We're locking down the profiles now."
May you like
Nolan ended the call and met my frightened gaze. "She knew the police were coming for her eventually," he said quietly. "She was already preparing to liquidate assets. And she isn't acting alone."
***
