Thomas nodded.
For a moment, Naomi could not speak.
She remembered calling the estate and asking for information about her father. She remembered being told that the family was handling everything. She remembered the feeling that she had become an outsider in the place where she had grown up.
Now she understood that her exclusion had not simply happened by accident.
It had been arranged.
Richard placed the message inside a separate folder.
RICHARD: "Thank you, Thomas. We will need you to provide a formal statement and identify the people involved in each stage of the process."
THOMAS: "I will cooperate."
NAOMI: "Thomas, I need to ask you something else. Did Father ever try to contact me directly during that period?"
Thomas nodded.
THOMAS: "Several times."
Naomi's eyes widened.
NAOMI: "What do you mean?"
THOMAS: "He asked me whether you had called. He wanted to know if you had received his messages."
NAOMI: "I never received them."
Thomas looked down.
THOMAS: "I know."
NAOMI: "Why?"
THOMAS: "Some of the correspondence was redirected through the estate office. I was told that your mother would decide when it was appropriate to forward it."
Naomi felt her throat tighten.
NAOMI: "Did Father know I wasn't receiving his messages?"
Thomas hesitated.
THOMAS: "I believe he began to suspect it."
Richard placed another document on the table.
RICHARD: "Do you have copies of the original correspondence?"
Thomas nodded and removed a small envelope.
Inside were several letters Frank had written to Naomi. Some were short. Others contained several paragraphs.
Naomi recognized the handwriting immediately.
Her hands began to tremble.
She opened the first letter.
FRANK'S LETTER:
"My dearest Naomi,
I hope your work is going well. I miss our conversations, and I would like to see you when your schedule allows.
There are some matters concerning the family estate that I want to explain. I do not want you to worry, but I believe you deserve to understand what is happening.
Please call me when you can.
Love, Dad."
The letter was dated several months before his death.
Naomi opened another.
FRANK'S LETTER:
"Naomi,
I have been thinking about the time we spent at Harbor House. I hope you remember those mornings by the sea as clearly as I do.
I want you to know that the house will always be a place where you are welcome.
There are decisions being made that concern the property, and I am reviewing them carefully. I will explain everything when we meet.
Your mother believes it is better not to involve you, but I do not agree.
You are my daughter. You have every right to know what happens to the things I leave behind.
Love, Dad."
Naomi lowered the paper.
For years, she had believed her father did not want to speak with her.
Now she was holding letters proving that he had tried.
NAOMI: "Why didn't anyone send these to me?"
Thomas had no answer.
Richard gently took the letters and placed them in a protective folder.
RICHARD: "We will preserve every original. These may become important evidence of what your father intended and what happened to his correspondence."
Naomi wiped the tears from her eyes.
She had spent years blaming herself for not being present enough. She had wondered whether she should have arranged more leave, called more often, or found a way to return home sooner.
But she could not answer messages she had never received.
She could not respond to letters she had never seen.
And she could not know what her father wanted if someone had deliberately kept his words from reaching her.
The meeting continued for another hour.
Thomas provided details about the transactions, the instructions he had received, and the people who had contacted him. Richard recorded every statement and requested supporting documents.
By the end of the meeting, they had enough information to establish a detailed timeline.
But one major question remained.
Who had prepared the disputed signature?
The independent handwriting examiner received the original documents several days later. She compared the disputed signature with verified samples from Frank's personal correspondence, legal agreements, and financial records.
The examination took time.
Naomi waited for the results without contacting her family.
She wanted the conclusion to be based on evidence, not pressure or assumptions.
When Richard finally called, his voice was serious.
RICHARD: "Naomi, the examination report is ready."
NAOMI: "What did they find?"
RICHARD: "The disputed signature does not match the verified samples of your father's handwriting. The examiner found significant differences in the formation and movement of the letters."
Naomi closed her eyes.
She had suspected the answer.