Chapter 8

Delta Parish Bank opened at nine. Renee and Paul were there at eight fifty. Paul had brought his driver’s license, Gus’s passport, and a notarized letter from Gus’s lawyer that Sadie had smuggled out. The bank manager, a man named Curtis, led them into a small room with a table and a steel door.

The safe-deposit box was small. Inside was a single manila envelope.

Renee opened it. The trust amendment was three pages, dated September 12, signed by Gus and witnessed by his lawyer. It removed Cece as chair, revoked her power of attorney, and named Renee as temporary trustee if Gus was incapacitated.

“This is it,” she whispered.

Paul read over her shoulder. “She’ll say he was incompetent when he signed it.”

“His lawyer will testify.”

Curtis cleared his throat. “There’s something else you should see.”

He left and came back with a file. “Your mother opened an account in your name, Mr. Vandermeer. Three weeks ago. A cashier’s check from Blue Heron Holdings for seventy-five thousand dollars was deposited into it.”

Paul stared. “I don’t have an account here.”

“The signature card lists Cecelia Vandermeer as the authorized agent. She signed your name.” Curtis showed them the card. The signature was a clumsy imitation of Paul’s. “The deposit slip is in her handwriting.”

Renee felt dizzy. “She framed him.”

Curtis nodded. “If the trust meeting goes the way she wants, she can point to that account and say Paul took a bribe for the deed. It would destroy his credibility.”

Paul sat down. “She was going to let me take the fall.”

Renee put a hand on his shoulder. “Not anymore.”

They copied everything. On the way out, Renee’s phone rang. It was Elias.

“I’ll talk,” he said. “She fired me this morning. Said I was disloyal. I’ll sign a statement. But you need to protect my granddaughter.”

“I will.”

The trust meeting was in two days. Cece’s lawyers filed a motion to ratify the sale that afternoon. Renee called Marianne, who called a judge, who agreed to hear the evidence at the trust meeting before any ratification.

That night, Renee sat at the kitchen table with the recorder, the deed, the tag, the bank records, and Gus’s amendment spread out like a map. Junie came downstairs for water and stopped in the doorway.

“Is that Grandma’s?” she asked, pointing at the recorder.

“Yes.”

“What does it say?”

Renee hesitated. “It says she was trying to hurt you.”

Junie’s face crumpled, then hardened. “Play it.”

“Junie-”

“I’m not a baby. I was there. I saw the stakes. I found the tag. I want to hear.”

Renee played the twenty-eight seconds. Junie listened with her hands wrapped around her water glass. When it ended, she didn’t cry.

“She said loose end,” Junie said.

“Yes.”

“What’s a loose end?”

“Something you get rid of.”

Junie nodded slowly. “She wanted to get rid of me.”

Renee pulled her into her lap. “Never. Not while I’m alive.”

Paul stood in the hall, listening. When Renee looked up, his eyes were wet. He mouthed, I’m sorry. She didn’t answer. She couldn’t yet. But she held Junie tighter and thought, Two days.