Chapter 4 - Four Days Before Lily Turned Thirteen
The trust had one unusual clause.
Margaret’s late husband, Henry, had written it after Anna became ill.
If Lily reached thirteen while living under Thomas’s legal custody, her future inheritance became irrevocable.
No spouse, guardian, creditor, or future trustee could remove her as beneficiary.
Before thirteen, a court finding of serious behavioral incapacity could delay vesting and allow a temporary guardian to control distributions.
Brianna had four days.
Suddenly every accusation against Lily made sense.
The broken ornaments.
The “tantrums.”
The claims that she lied.
Brianna had been manufacturing a history.
Margaret sat in June’s room with Samuel on speakerphone.
“Who is the psychologist?”
“Dr. Paul Renner.”
“Does he know Brianna?”
“Her brother paid him.”
“Of course.”
“Margaret, we can move now.”
“No.”
Samuel sighed.
“You have a dangerous habit of saying that.”
“If we arrest Brianna for assault today, Kyle and Renner destroy evidence.”
“So what are you proposing?”
“Let her believe she still has four days.”
That afternoon Brianna became Mother of the Year.
She baked cookies with Lily.
She posted photographs.
She hugged the girl whenever Thomas entered.
Lily hated it.
“She’s pretending.”
“I know,” Margaret said.
“Why does Dad let her?”
“He’s beginning not to.”
“Beginning is slow.”
Margaret smiled.
“Yes.”
Thomas canceled two business trips.
He ate breakfast with Lily.
He moved her chair back to the dining room.
He also began asking questions.
“Why did Mom’s birthday cards never arrive?”
Brianna shrugged.
“Postal problems.”
“All twelve?”
“You’re interrogating me?”
“I’m asking.”
At dinner Thomas said, “Lily turns thirteen Christmas Day. Mom usually makes a big deal out of birthdays.”
Brianna dropped her fork.
Margaret noticed.
“So?” Brianna said.
“So I’m calling Mom.”
Margaret nearly choked on water.
Thomas dialed.
Her phone vibrated upstairs in June’s room.
Nobody answered.
Brianna smiled.
“See? She doesn’t care.”
Lily looked down.
Margaret wanted the disguise over.
Not yet.
That night, someone entered Lily’s bedroom.
Margaret heard the door.
She followed.
Brianna stood beside Lily’s desk holding a bottle of prescription pills.
“What are those?” Margaret asked.
Brianna spun around.
“Vitamins.”
“In a prescription bottle?”
“Get out.”
Margaret took the bottle before Brianna could stop her.
The label belonged to Brianna.
A strong sedating medication.
Margaret stared at her.
“You were going to put these in Lily’s room.”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
Brianna lunged for the bottle.
Margaret stepped back.
Thomas appeared.
“What’s going on?”
Brianna froze.
Margaret handed him the bottle.
“I found your wife standing beside Lily’s desk with this.”
Thomas read the label.
Brianna shouted, “She planted it!”
Margaret laughed.
It was the first time she had openly laughed at her daughter-in-law.
Brianna’s face twisted.
Thomas said, “Leave.”
“What?”
“Sleep at your mother’s.”
“You’re throwing me out before Christmas?”
“I’m asking for space.”
“This maid has poisoned you!”
“No,” Thomas said. “You did.”
Brianna stormed out.
An hour later Samuel called.
“We have Renner.”
“What happened?”
“He got nervous. He admits Kyle offered him fifty thousand dollars for an evaluation describing Lily as unstable.”
“Did Brianna authorize it?”
“He says yes.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Good.”
“Not entirely. Kyle disappeared.”
“Where?”
“We don’t know.”
The next morning, Lily’s school called.
She had never arrived.
Thomas stared at the empty driveway.
“The driver said Brianna picked her up.”
Margaret’s heart stopped.
Brianna’s phone was off.
Then Thomas received a photograph.
Lily sat in the back seat of a car, crying.
The message beneath it read:
SIGN OVER TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP OR YOU WON’T SEE HER BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
Thomas dropped the phone.
Margaret removed her maid’s apron.
“Enough.”
He stared at her.
“What are you doing?”
She pulled off the gray wig.
Thomas went completely still.
“Mom?”
Margaret looked at her son.
“Yes.”
His mouth opened.
“No time.”
She called Samuel.
“Activate Caldwell security. Call state police. Freeze every account connected to Brianna Shaw, Kyle Shaw, and Patricia Shaw.”
Thomas could barely speak.
“You’re Maggie?”
Margaret picked up her coat.
“We can discuss my housekeeping later.”
May you like
Then she looked at the photograph of Lily.
“Right now, we bring my granddaughter home.”
