“It’s gone,” Calvin said, his boots dripping melting snow onto the wooden floorboards.

“We found the back door jimmied open and the office trashed.”

My mother let out a small, sharp gasp behind me.

I turned slowly to look at my father.

His hand was still holding the yellowed note, but his face had gone completely still.

He didn’t look surprised.

He looked smug.

“The original will,” I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow.

“The one that names me as the sole heir.”

“Without the original will, the estate defaults to the closest living relatives,” my father said, his voice cool and steady again.

“That would be Eleanor and me.”

“You did this,” I said, taking a step toward him.

“I’ve been in a car with your mother for the last two hours, Avery,” he said, holding his hands up in mock innocence.

“You can’t prove a thing.”

“You hired someone,” I said.

“That is a very serious accusation,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“And like I said, you have no proof.”