I stared at her, my breath catching.

“When?” I asked.

“Two days ago, when you were at the grocery store,” Caroline said.

“He called the house phone.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Caroline?” I asked, reaching for her hand.

“I was analyzing his motive,” Caroline replied, her voice steady.

“He told me he needed it to set up a life insurance policy for me, but the explanation did not fit his usual behavioral patterns.”

Rebecca walked closer, stopping just inches from the coffee table.

“He is drowning in debt, Caroline,” Rebecca said, her hands trembling.

“If he suspects you have any assets, he will try to gain control of them before you turn eighteen.”

The rain outside lashed against the glass of the living room window.

Inside, the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.

Caroline picked up the second document, which appeared to be a bank statement from the trust’s holding company.

The balance at the bottom of the page was printed in bold black ink: $5,241,809.14.

“It is a lot of money,” Caroline said, looking at the number.