Chapter 4 - The Frozen Assets
I stared at the old photograph until my vision completely blurred.
I demanded to know what Arthur meant about my husband's death.
Arthur explained that he and Ernest had started a private investment firm thirty years ago.
Ernest eventually bought Arthur out to protect the family from the stress of the corporate world.
But Ernest secretly kept a secondary life insurance policy tied to the old firm.
Arthur said Ernest contacted him two weeks before he died.
Ernest was terrified because he had discovered someone was slowly poisoning him with a dangerous chemical compound.
He suspected it was a slow-acting toxin designed to mimic a natural cardiac event.
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs.
I told Arthur that Austin and Chloe had moved into our house exactly a month before Ernest died.
They claimed they wanted to help care for him while he was feeling weak.
Arthur nodded slowly and said he suspected they were the ones responsible.
He told me he paid my ship fare because he owed Ernest a final debt of honor.
He wanted to help me destroy the people who murdered my husband.
I felt a sudden surge of righteous anger replacing my grief.
I thanked Arthur and accepted his alliance without any hesitation.
We spent the next two days creating a detailed strategy to bypass Austin's legal freeze.
Arthur allowed me to use his private satellite terminal to contact my lawyers.
We filed a counter-suit in federal court, arguing that the revised will was a fraudulent document.
The ship finally docked in the bright and colorful port of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I rushed down the gangway to collect the package Mary had mailed to the local courier office.
I tore open the padded envelope as soon as I was safely back in Arthur's private suite.
Inside was a heavy brass key and a small ledger book belonging to Ernest.
I opened the ledger and immediately recognized my husband's neat handwriting.
The final entry listed a secret offshore bank account containing five million dollars.
I gasped and showed the page to Arthur.
Arthur read the entry and his face instantly turned pale.
May you like
He pointed to a small note written in the margin next to the account number.
The note stated that the offshore funds would automatically transfer to Chloe upon his death.
