Naomi felt a chill move through her.
Her father had ordered the transfers to stop.
Someone had overridden that instruction.
And the money had continued moving.
The next meeting would reveal whether Thomas had the documents to prove it.
But Naomi was beginning to understand that the truth might be much worse than anything she had imagined.
The following morning, Naomi arrived at Richard Coleman's office before the scheduled meeting.
She had barely slept. Her father's handwritten note remained in her handbag, and every time she thought about the words, she felt another wave of anger and sadness.
"Do not release another dollar until I have reviewed the accounts personally."
Frank had given that instruction while he was still alive. Yet the money had continued moving.
Someone had ignored him.
Someone had used his name to authorize transactions he had specifically ordered to stop.
And Naomi was determined to discover who had done it.
Richard was waiting beside the conference table. Several folders had been arranged in chronological order, along with a laptop and a collection of original documents.
RICHARD: "Thomas Reed has arrived. He's waiting outside."
NAOMI: "Bring him in."
A moment later, Thomas entered the room carrying a small leather folder. He looked nervous, and his expression suggested that he had spent the previous night reconsidering whether he should have agreed to the meeting.
THOMAS: "Good morning, Admiral Montgomery."
NAOMI: "Good morning, Thomas. Thank you for coming."
Thomas sat down and placed his folder on the table.
RICHARD: "We need to establish exactly what happened after Frank instructed the office to stop the transfers."
Thomas nodded slowly.
THOMAS: "I understand."
RICHARD: "You previously told me that you received another instruction claiming Frank had changed his mind. Who gave you that instruction?"
Thomas looked at Naomi before answering.
THOMAS: "Your mother."
Naomi remained still.
NAOMI: "Did she provide a new document signed by my father?"
THOMAS: "She said the document had already been prepared and that it would be delivered to the office shortly. She told me the transfer was urgent because the company needed the money."
NAOMI: "And you processed it?"
Thomas lowered his eyes.
THOMAS: "Yes."
NAOMI: "Even though Father had told you to stop?"
THOMAS: "I was told that he had changed his mind. I should have insisted on speaking with him directly."
Richard opened his notebook.
RICHARD: "Do you have a record of the instruction you received?"
Thomas opened his leather folder and removed several pages.
THOMAS: "I kept copies of the correspondence. I was uncomfortable with the way the documents were being handled, so I retained them."
Richard examined the pages.
One was an internal email requesting that the transfer be processed immediately. Another was a short letter authorizing the release of funds.
The letter carried Frank Montgomery's name.
But the date was the same day he had been receiving medical treatment.
RICHARD: "This is the disputed authorization."
THOMAS: "Yes."
NAOMI: "Did you personally see Father sign it?"
Thomas shook his head.
THOMAS: "No. I received it through the estate office."
NAOMI: "Who delivered it?"
THOMAS: "Your brother."
Naomi looked at Richard.
Richard carefully placed the document beside the verified samples of Frank's handwriting.
RICHARD: "This is important. We need to establish the chain of custody and identify everyone who handled the original."
Thomas continued.
THOMAS: "There was also a second instruction. It said that future correspondence about the protected fund should be sent through Mrs. Montgomery rather than directly to Frank."
NAOMI: "Who requested that?"
THOMAS: "Your mother."
NAOMI: "And who approved it?"
Thomas hesitated.
THOMAS: "I was told that Sebastian had already agreed."
Naomi leaned back.
The pattern was becoming clearer. Her mother had given instructions, her brother had delivered documents, and the administrator had processed transactions without receiving direct confirmation from Frank.
NAOMI: "Did anyone ever tell you that I was supposed to receive copies?"
Thomas nodded.
THOMAS: "Yes. The original arrangement listed you as someone who needed to be notified of significant changes."
NAOMI: "Then why was I excluded?"
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
THOMAS: "I received a message from Sebastian instructing me not to send further documents to you. He said the family had agreed that all communication should go through your mother."
Richard immediately asked for the original message.
Thomas found it in his folder and placed it on the table.
It was dated several days after Frank's death.
The instruction was clear: Naomi was not to receive further copies of the estate records unless the family representative approved the request.
Naomi read the message twice.
NAOMI: "He knew I was supposed to be informed."
THOMAS: "Yes."
NAOMI: "And he deliberately stopped the documents."