Chapter 4 - THE BLUE ENVELOPE
Lena accompanied me to collect Lily’s school records and clothing.
Richard remained away under police advice. Margaret watched from the staircase while a neutral officer followed us through the mansion.
The blue county envelope lay inside Daniel’s locked desk.
It was addressed to:
GUARDIAN OF LILY EVELYN HART
RE: HART RESIDENCE FILING
The contents were gone.
Daniel arrived before we finished.
“That is private family paperwork.”
“Lily is the family member named on it.”
“It’s an administrative mistake.”
“Then why did you hide it?”
He lowered his voice.
“My father is refinancing. The title company wanted unnecessary signatures.”
“Yours and Lily’s?”
“Yours as her parent.”
“I never agreed.”
“I was going to explain at dinner.”
The banquet had not been only a family celebration.
Documents had been waiting.
Daniel insisted no loan could close without my signature.
Lena checked county records that evening.
Richard had recorded a deed transferring the mansion into his own name six months earlier.
The deed described him as sole owner.
An older record contradicted it.
Fourteen years before, Evelyn had transferred the house into something called the Evelyn Hart Residence Trust.
The trust terms were not public.
The later deed claimed the trust had been revoked.
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The revocation document carried Evelyn’s signature.
It was dated eight months after her death.
