Chapter 9 — Inside the Wall
Brenda pulled the wooden panel outward.
A faint smell of old paper and dust drifted into the hallway.
Stacked tightly inside the narrow cavity were several weathered envelopes and bound documents.
Arthur stepped forward out of the shadows.
“Don’t touch those,” Arthur said, his voice cracking sharply.
Brenda ignored him.
She reached into the dark compartment.
She pulled out the top folder and flipped open the brittle cover.
Old family property deeds and financial records spilled out onto the hardwood floor.
Brenda knelt down to examine the papers scattered around her knees.
She picked up a handwritten property transfer deed dated three years prior.
The document bore her late father’s signature.
Except the signature looked shaky and heavily traced over in black ink.
Brenda scanned the legal description on the paper.
The deed transferred sole ownership of the family home directly to Arthur.
It stripped Brenda and her brother of their rightful inheritance entirely.
A second ledger fell open next to her left shoe.
It contained detailed records of bank transfers and hidden accounts.
Arthur had systematically drained the family estate over the past five years.
The shattered glass frame in the living room hadn’t been a careless accident caused by Ethan.
It had been knocked down during Arthur’s frantic rush to hide the ledger behind the wall panel when Brenda arrived home unexpectedly.
Arthur collapsed heavily into a nearby wooden armchair.
His hands shook as he gripped the armrests.
His secret was entirely exposed.
Brenda held up the forged property deed in the dim hallway light.
“You tried to steal our home,” Brenda said softly.
Arthur lowered his head into his hands.
He began to cry quietly, confessing to the entire setup and the forged titles.