Ava’s Birthday Drawing Was Ruined While Everyone Blamed Lily — Then the Kitchen Camera Showed Who Really Scribbled Over It
Chapter 8 — Margaret Finally Remembers the Meeting
Richard and Margaret came over that night.
Matthew placed the document on the table.
Margaret stared at her supposed witness signature.
Then shook her head.
“I didn’t sign this.”
Matthew looked surprised.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Margaret normally signed her name:
Margaret E. Dawson.
The trust document read:
Margaret Dawson.
No middle initial.
Different D.
Different slope.
Then Margaret remembered the meeting.
Stephen had come to the red farmhouse with Gerald Price.
There had been an argument.
Richard refused to sign something because he wanted an independent attorney to review it.
“I remember that,” Richard said.
Margaret nodded.
Gerald became irritated.
Stephen threatened to keep Ben away permanently if Richard delayed custody arrangements.
Richard eventually told them to leave.
“So neither of you signed?” Claire asked.
Both shook their heads.
Yet a supposedly witnessed transfer appeared days later.
The implications were serious.
The family contacted an attorney.
Old property records were retrieved.
Susan’s commercial property had indeed been sold shortly after Stephen gained custody.
Sale price:
$310,000.
Almost none of that money could be traced into an account for Ben.
Instead, a large portion went toward purchasing a small hotel business registered to Stephen Carter.
Ben’s suspicion suddenly made sense.
Stephen had not only taken custody of his son.
He appeared to have taken control of property intended for him.
But one question remained.
Had Gerald Price knowingly helped him?
Gerald was dead.
However, his law office had been absorbed by another firm.
And that firm’s archive still contained the original trust file.
