{"id":23054,"date":"2026-09-27T19:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T19:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=23054"},"modified":"2026-09-27T19:56:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T19:56:10","slug":"part-25-derek-received-control-of-his-fathers-trust-at-last-but-the-first-decision-he-made-had-nothing-to-do-with-keeping-the-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=23054","title":{"rendered":"PART 25 \u2013 Derek Received Control of His Father\u2019s Trust at Last, but the First Decision He Made Had Nothing to Do With Keeping the Property"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The key Olivia had asked about stayed on its hook.<\/p>\n<p>Derek noticed it every morning.<\/p>\n<p>A new brass key for a new lock.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody had asked for it.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody had taken one without permission.<\/p>\n<p>The object was ordinary enough to disappear against the kitchen wall, yet Derek sometimes found himself looking at it while coffee brewed.<\/p>\n<p>For most of his life, access had been treated as proof of closeness.<\/p>\n<p>His mother\u2019s spare key.<\/p>\n<p>His parents\u2019 access to his accounts.<\/p>\n<p>His own assumption that marriage entitled him to Olivia\u2019s patience.<\/p>\n<p>Now the unused key meant something different.<\/p>\n<p>Availability without entitlement.<\/p>\n<p>Three days after Olivia read Thomas\u2019s handwritten instruction, Rebecca called Derek into her office to sign the final documents transferring administrative control of the Hale trust.<\/p>\n<p>Derek read every page.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve become extremely slow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m traumatized by signatures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat may be the healthiest response this family has produced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia was not present.<\/p>\n<p>Derek had considered inviting her, then decided against it.<\/p>\n<p>The trust belonged to him.<\/p>\n<p>If they rebuilt their marriage, he wanted Olivia beside him by choice, not because every significant event required her participation.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca placed the final signature page in front of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis removes Marjorie\u2019s administrative authority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCompletely?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe cannot borrow against the property?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTransfer it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUse trust funds for legal expenses?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek read the paragraph again.<\/p>\n<p>Then signed.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca notarized it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek stared at the paper.<\/p>\n<p>Eight years of hidden control ended with ink drying beneath his name.<\/p>\n<p>He expected relief.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he felt responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens to Ruth?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wondered how quickly you\u2019d ask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The trust owned the old Hale property in which Ruth Alvarez lived.<\/p>\n<p>Her lease remained valid, but the investigation had made her understandably nervous.<\/p>\n<p>Derek had spent several evenings reviewing the property finances.<\/p>\n<p>Taxes.<\/p>\n<p>Insurance.<\/p>\n<p>Repairs.<\/p>\n<p>Rent.<\/p>\n<p>The house was not a gold mine.<\/p>\n<p>It barely supported itself.<\/p>\n<p>Selling would be simpler.<\/p>\n<p>A developer had already made an informal inquiry after hearing ownership was being clarified.<\/p>\n<p>The offer was attractive.<\/p>\n<p>Derek declined it.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t want to consider the number?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI considered it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor approximately seven minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy keep the house?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t say I\u2019m keeping it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had another plan.<\/p>\n<p>That afternoon, he met Ruth at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n<p>The same kitchen where the plumbing had leaked.<\/p>\n<p>The same house Thomas had tried to protect from Cedar Ridge.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth poured coffee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is usually serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek placed a folder on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth did not touch it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn option agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her expression became wary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stared.<\/p>\n<p>Derek explained.<\/p>\n<p>The trust would give Ruth the first right to purchase the property at a price based on an independent appraisal, not the developer\u2019s speculative offer.<\/p>\n<p>If she wanted it, Derek would allow a long closing period while she arranged financing.<\/p>\n<p>If she did not, her lease would continue while Derek considered alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re selling me the house?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you want it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t afford what developers pay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not asking what developers pay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at the folder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek had prepared several explanations.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n<p>Family history.<\/p>\n<p>Restitution.<\/p>\n<p>None felt right.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you live here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruth\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat seems like a pretty important fact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Then her eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>Derek looked away to give her privacy.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth opened the folder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not giving it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked surprised.<\/p>\n<p>She wiped her cheek.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want charity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you\u2019d still be buying a house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She read the first page.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if I say no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou keep renting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo punishment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo sudden sale next week?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruth looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour father would\u2019ve liked this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had stopped letting other people tell him what Thomas would think.<\/p>\n<p>But this time he did not mind.<\/p>\n<p>At the auto shop, Carlos was less sentimental.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou turned down how much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek continued inspecting a suspension assembly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t turn it down permanently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re letting the tenant decide first?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carlos stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve become financially irresponsible in a completely new direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s paying fair value if she buys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek slid out from beneath the car.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat would you do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake the developer money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen buy a boat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou hate boats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their laughter drew a look from a customer.<\/p>\n<p>For several minutes, life felt normal.<\/p>\n<p>Then Carlos became serious.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour mom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill cooperating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou seeing her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSupervised calls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carlos nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know you don\u2019t have to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That mattered too.<\/p>\n<p>Derek no longer interpreted every question as a demand for disclosure.<\/p>\n<p>He could answer because he wanted to.<\/p>\n<p>Or not.<\/p>\n<p>That evening, Olivia came over for dinner.<\/p>\n<p>Not a date, she insisted.<\/p>\n<p>Derek pointed out she had brought wine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou brought the kind I like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCoincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou hate this kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStop investigating me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned.<\/p>\n<p>They ate on the new couch because Derek had ruined one side dish badly enough that neither wanted to look at the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia asked about the trust transfer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFinished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow was it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s probably ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI read everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwice?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome pages three times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about the house?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek told her about Ruth.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia listened without interruption.<\/p>\n<p>When he finished, she asked, \u201cDid you do it because you feel guilty?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had expected praise.<\/p>\n<p>The question annoyed him.<\/p>\n<p>That was probably why it was useful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I\u2019m not giving her anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re giving her time and priority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose have value.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek set down his plate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I did it because she\u2019s been living inside a family asset while everyone else treated the house like a number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia considered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds healthier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to evaluate every decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou asked me into your life again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She leaned against the couch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you have done the same six months ago?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat would you have done?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsked Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>Derek laughed quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s strange to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s strange to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After dinner, Olivia helped carry dishes to the sink.<\/p>\n<p>Derek washed.<\/p>\n<p>She dried.<\/p>\n<p>The rhythm returned so naturally that both noticed.<\/p>\n<p>Neither commented.<\/p>\n<p>Then Olivia saw the key.<\/p>\n<p>It hung beside the pantry.<\/p>\n<p>She touched it with one finger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t make a dramatic presentation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI considered a velvet box.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease never.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek rinsed a plate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s yours if you ever want it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did not ask.<\/p>\n<p>The key remained hanging.<\/p>\n<p>The next couples therapy session focused on family contact.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mercer asked Derek what would happen if Marjorie eventually left custody or completed whatever sentence and supervision resulted from her case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does Olivia want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek looked toward his wife.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mercer nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I don\u2019t want her to have to design my relationship with my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked surprised.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mercer turned to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that what you want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I do need boundaries if Derek and I are together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo unscheduled visits. No financial involvement. No discussing our accounts. No using Derek as emergency money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo private criticism of our marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if she attacks Olivia verbally, the visit ends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou added that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I used to make you defend yourself while I stayed neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room went quiet.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia\u2019s face softened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou weren\u2019t neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mercer asked, \u201cWhat were you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn Mom\u2019s side while pretending I was in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked down.<\/p>\n<p>The accuracy hurt.<\/p>\n<p>But it also repaired something.<\/p>\n<p>Later in the session, Olivia admitted her own fear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Marjorie improves, I\u2019m afraid everyone will expect me to welcome her back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek answered before the therapist could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can forgive her and I can still not want her around me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can rebuild something with her without me doing the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you won\u2019t resent me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek paused.<\/p>\n<p>That pause mattered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI might feel sad about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut sadness isn\u2019t permission to pressure you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mercer nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Derek groaned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease don\u2019t look pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have a therapist face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia laughed.<\/p>\n<p>The session ended better than it began.<\/p>\n<p>Two weeks later, Ruth called.<\/p>\n<p>She wanted the house.<\/p>\n<p>Derek sat in his truck outside the shop while she told him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy credit union says financing might work if the appraisal stays close.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat seems reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if something goes wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe deal with whatever actually goes wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruth went quiet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounded like Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek smiled.<\/p>\n<p>This time he accepted it.<\/p>\n<p>The property sale process began.<\/p>\n<p>Not quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Not dramatically.<\/p>\n<p>Inspections found roof work.<\/p>\n<p>A plumbing issue.<\/p>\n<p>An electrical panel older than Carlos.<\/p>\n<p>Carlos objected when Derek said that.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the deal remained possible.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Cedar Ridge case reached an important stage.<\/p>\n<p>Leonard Voss formally entered a cooperation agreement.<\/p>\n<p>His statement corroborated large parts of Marjorie\u2019s account.<\/p>\n<p>He admitted placing the tracker on Derek\u2019s truck at Marjorie\u2019s request.<\/p>\n<p>He admitted helping Kline monitor borrowers.<\/p>\n<p>He admitted participating in document manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>But he disputed one detail.<\/p>\n<p>The tracker on Olivia\u2019s car.<\/p>\n<p>Voss said Kline had not ordered it.<\/p>\n<p>Harris called Olivia and Derek into the station.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re checking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVoss activated it through Cedar Ridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would he do that without Kline?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe says someone else requested it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek felt the old tension return.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harris placed the interview transcript on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Voss claimed the request came through an email forwarded from Marjorie.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo she did know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot necessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harris pointed to the next page.<\/p>\n<p>The email used Marjorie\u2019s account.<\/p>\n<p>But the message was sent while she was documented at a bank meeting across town.<\/p>\n<p>Derek leaned closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone used her email.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho had access?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVoss says Kline did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked irritated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen we\u2019re back to Kline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harris turned another page.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe language doesn\u2019t match Kline\u2019s other messages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek read the line.<\/p>\n<p>Track the wife. She\u2019s asking the wrong questions.<\/p>\n<p>The wife.<\/p>\n<p>Not Olivia.<\/p>\n<p>Not Mrs. Hale.<\/p>\n<p>Derek stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhoever sent this knew she was investigating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore she knew she was investigating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia looked at the date.<\/p>\n<p>December twenty-third.<\/p>\n<p>The same day the tracker was activated.<\/p>\n<p>She had not installed cameras yet.<\/p>\n<p>Had not contacted Rebecca.<\/p>\n<p>Had barely begun questioning failed banking logins.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow could anyone know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harris answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to determine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia thought about that day.<\/p>\n<p>Christmas shopping.<\/p>\n<p>Bank deposit.<\/p>\n<p>Password change.<\/p>\n<p>One more event surfaced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI called someone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy bank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter the failed login, I called the number Marjorie had given me for the family financial adviser.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Derek went still.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat adviser?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe said he helped your parents with estate matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never knew they had one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI spoke to a man for maybe five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was his name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia searched her phone archive.<\/p>\n<p>The number remained.<\/p>\n<p>The contact she had created read:<\/p>\n<p>HALE FINANCIAL \u2014 MR. SLOAN.<\/p>\n<p>Harris took the number.<\/p>\n<p>Within an hour, investigators identified it.<\/p>\n<p>Not a licensed adviser.<\/p>\n<p>Not a financial office.<\/p>\n<p>A prepaid forwarding service.<\/p>\n<p>The subscriber information led to a name.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Sloan.<\/p>\n<p>Derek had never heard it.<\/p>\n<p>Harris had.<\/p>\n<p>Sloan appeared repeatedly in Cedar Ridge records as an outside document processor.<\/p>\n<p>One who had never been charged.<\/p>\n<p>One whose name appeared beside several disputed signatures.<\/p>\n<p>And according to phone records, Daniel Sloan had contacted Marjorie more than fifty times during the months before Olivia discovered the stolen card.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation had found Kline.<\/p>\n<p>Voss.<\/p>\n<p>Marjorie.<\/p>\n<p>But one person who knew the paperwork better than all of them had remained outside the frame.<\/p>\n<p>Until now.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=23055\">Click here to continue reading: PART 26: The Man Olivia Once Trusted as a Family Financial Adviser Turned Out to Be the Document Specialist Who Had Helped Cedar Ridge Forge Derek\u2019s Life<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The key Olivia had asked about stayed on its hook. Derek noticed it every morning. A new brass key for a new lock. Nobody had asked for it. Nobody had &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23089,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23054\/revisions\/23089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}