Chapter 12
The sky was painted in bruised shades of purple and gray as Marcus’s rusty pickup truck bounced down the unplowed driveway of Leo’s home, parking quietly behind the detached shed out of sight from the main kitchen windows. Marcus, Leo, and Buster stepped out into the freezing morning air, their breaths pluming white. A sleek black sedan was already parked near the gate—Attorney Sarah Jenkins had arrived right on time, wrapped in a professional winter coat, her briefcase clutched tightly in her gloved hands. She greeted Leo with a warm, empathetic smile, crouching down to shake Buster’s paw before turning her attention to Marcus.
We have a very narrow window, Sarah whispered, her voice professional and crisp. If Mrs. Vance catches us breaking into the house, she can file immediate injunctions that will tie us up in probate court for months. Do you have the key? Leo nodded, pulling the small brass key from his pocket and holding it up. Marcus led the way toward the rear basement window, which they had left unlatched the night before. One by one, they slipped through the opening into the damp cellar, Buster leading the way with quiet confidence in the familiar dark.
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They moved quickly through the cluttered storage space toward the hidden wall panel Marcus had identified from Leo’s description. Marcus knelt down, holding a high-intensity work light while Sarah set up her digital camera on a small tripod, ready to record every detail of the discovery. Leo handed Marcus the brass key. The old carpenter slid it into the concealed keyhole behind the loose stone foundation block. With a satisfying, mechanical click, the heavy iron lock yielded, and the hidden panel swung open, revealing the heavy door of the floor safe embedded deep in the concrete foundation.
Marcus spun the combination dial according to numbers Leo remembered his father mentioning in passing years ago—numbers related to his birth date. With a deep breath, Marcus pulled the heavy steel handle downward. The door swung open smoothly, releasing a faint puff of stale, trapped air. Inside sat several stacks of legal documents tied with red ribbon, a ledger detailing the true assets of the estate, and a signed, notarized final will and testament leaving everything outright to Leo, with Evelyn designated merely as a trustee until he reached majority. Sarah immediately began photographing the documents page by page, flashbulbs illuminating the dark cellar with rapid succession.
