Chapter 3 - SAFE-DEPOSIT BOX 317
At nine the next morning, Mark walked into First Commonwealth Bank with Daniel and Detective Chen.
Sophie stayed with Aunt Caroline.
Mark hated leaving her after everything she had witnessed, but bringing an eight-year-old into whatever waited inside box 317 felt worse.
The bank manager examined the brass key.
His expression changed immediately.
"Mr. Bennett, this box belongs to the Harold Bennett Family Trust."
Daniel presented the trust certificate.
The manager checked the signatures.
"You are now an authorized successor trustee."
He led them underground.
The vault smelled like steel, dust, and old paper.
Box 317 was near the back wall.
Mark inserted the key.
The lock turned.
Inside was a long metal container.
The manager placed it on a private viewing table and left.
Mark opened the lid.
There were three items.
A black ledger.
A flash drive.
And a photograph.
Detective Chen picked up the photograph first.
It showed Victoria sitting at a restaurant with a man Mark recognized immediately.
Samuel Price.
Chief financial officer of Bennett Holdings.
Mark felt his stomach drop.
"Samuel?"
Daniel swore under his breath.
Samuel had worked beside Harold for twenty-two years.
He had attended birthdays.
Funerals.
Christmas dinners.
After Mark's wife died, Samuel had quietly handled company matters so Mark could spend more time with Sophie.
Mark had trusted him completely.
Detective Chen opened the ledger.
Each page contained dates, account numbers, vendor names, and handwritten notes.
Some transfers were circled in red.
Near the final pages, Harold had written two initials.
V.B.
S.P.
Victoria Bennett.
Samuel Price.
Daniel inserted the flash drive into an offline laptop provided by the bank.
There were twelve folders.
Invoices.
Bank records.
Audio files.
Photographs.
Then they saw a video file dated nine days before Harold's death.
Mark pressed play.
His father appeared on the screen.
Harold looked tired.
Older than Mark remembered.
He sat behind the desk in his study.
"If you're watching this, then I did not get the chance to finish what I started."
Mark swallowed hard.
Harold continued.
"Victoria has stolen from this family, but Samuel Price made it possible."
Daniel looked at Mark.
The video continued.
"Samuel controlled the accounting system."
"He created fake vendors and routed payments through shell corporations."
"I believe he has also been manipulating Victoria."
Mark leaned closer.
Harold's eyes looked directly into the camera.
"But make no mistake."
"Victoria knew exactly what she was doing."
Detective Chen began taking notes.
Harold described a shell company named North Lake Development.
More than two million dollars had passed through it.
Some belonged to Bennett Holdings.
Some came from family trusts.
Then Harold said something none of them expected.
"I confronted Samuel yesterday."
Mark's chest tightened.
"He denied everything."
"I told him I was going to federal authorities."
"He asked me to wait forty-eight hours."
Harold looked away from the camera.
"For the first time in twenty-two years, I was afraid of him."
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Harold had died nine days later.
Officially, the cause had been cardiac failure.
He had suffered from heart disease for years.
There had been no reason to suspect anything else.
Until now.
Detective Chen closed the laptop.
"I need a copy of everything."
Daniel nodded.
Mark looked at the ledger.
"Are you saying my father's death may not have been natural?"
"I'm saying we have enough to ask questions."
Mark's phone rang.
Samuel Price.
All three looked at the screen.
Detective Chen motioned for Mark to answer normally.
Mark put the phone to his ear.
"Samuel."
"Mark, I heard about last night."
Samuel sounded concerned.
Almost fatherly.
"I'm sorry."
Mark forced himself to remain calm.
"Victoria was arrested."
"I know."
Samuel sighed.
"I warned Harold she was becoming unstable."
Mark looked at the photograph of Samuel sitting across from Victoria.
"What did you need?"
"I'm at the office."
Samuel paused.
"There's something involving the inheritance I think you need to see."
Mark felt Detective Chen watching him.
"What?"
"I don't want to discuss it over the phone."
Samuel lowered his voice.
"Come alone."
The line disconnected.
Detective Chen shook her head.
"You're not going alone."
Mark looked again at the photograph.
"No."
He closed box 317.
May you like
"But I'm going."
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