The Package From a Dead Man
Chapter 02 - The Package From a Dead Man
Two days earlier, Emma had been preparing to leave work when the receptionist told her an elderly woman was waiting in the lobby. The visitor introduced herself as Ruth Calder, a retired bookkeeper who had worked for Richard Hayes before his disappearance.
Ruth’s hands trembled as she placed a padded envelope on Emma’s desk.
“Richard made me promise to give this to you only when Victoria tried to take the apartment,” she said.
Emma stared at her. “How would he know about my apartment?”
“He knew more than anyone realized. That is why he had to disappear.”
Inside the envelope was a flash drive, a storage-unit key, and a handwritten note bearing Richard’s signature. Emma recognized it from old birthday cards Daniel kept in a locked drawer.
Do not confront them alone, the note warned. Copy everything. Trust Daniel’s sister, Sophie. Trust no one else in the family until they prove themselves.
Emma wanted to dismiss the package as an elaborate scam, but Ruth knew details no stranger should have known: the secret nickname Richard used for Daniel, the blue sailboat he had sold before vanishing, and the exact date Victoria had moved money from the family company into a private account.
Then Ruth mentioned the apartment.
“Your grandmother once invested in Hayes Development,” she explained. “When the company nearly collapsed, she loaned Richard enough money to save it. The apartment was placed in her name as partial repayment. Victoria has spent years trying to get it back without admitting why.”
Emma’s stomach tightened. Daniel had told her his mother wanted the apartment because climbing stairs at her townhouse had become difficult. He had described the transfer as an act of kindness, temporary and harmless.
That night, Emma opened the first folder on the flash drive. It contained scanned contracts, bank transfers, and recordings of private meetings. In one recording, Victoria instructed a lawyer to prepare documents that would allow Daniel to borrow against Emma’s apartment after the title changed hands.
In another, Daniel asked how long they needed to stay married after the transfer.
Victoria’s answer was cold and clear.
“Long enough that she cannot claim fraud.”
Emma listened twice, hoping she had misunderstood. Then Daniel’s recorded voice asked what would happen if she refused.
Victoria laughed softly.
“Everyone has a breaking point. Find hers.”
Emma sat alone in the blue light of her laptop, the flash drive warm between her fingers. She did not cry. Not yet.
Instead, she called Maya Brooks, her oldest friend and a property attorney.
“I need you to tell me how to save my home,” Emma said.
May you like
Maya heard the fear beneath her calm voice.
“First,” she replied, “we save you.”
