Margaret’s hands were shaking. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
Audrey reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. She held it up.
“The trust documents are in Grant’s office. Along with the adoption papers. Along with the letter Grant wrote to his father. The one where he admitted he was wrong. The one where he said Poppy was the only real Bennett.”
Celeste stared at her. “He wrote that?”
“He did.”
“When?”
“Three days before he died.”
The room went silent.
Margaret’s face went white. “He didn’t die. He left.”
Audrey looked at her. “He died. In a car accident. On his way to see Celeste. On his way to tell her he was coming home to me.”
Celeste’s hand flew to her mouth. “No.”
“Yes.”
Margaret stepped back. “You’re lying. You’re trying to turn her against me.”
“I’m not trying to turn anyone against anyone,” Audrey said. “I’m telling the truth. The truth you’ve been hiding for months.”
She unlocked the office door. She pushed it open.
The room was exactly as Grant had left it. Papers on the desk. A coffee mug that had never been washed. A photograph of Poppy on the bookshelf.
Audrey walked to the desk. She opened the top drawer. She pulled out a folder. She handed it to Celeste.
“Read it.”
Celeste opened the folder. Her hands were trembling. She read the first page. Then the second. Then the third. Her face crumpled. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“He was coming back,” she whispered. “He was coming back to her.”
Margaret grabbed the folder. She read it. Her face twisted. “This is a forgery.”
“It’s notarized,” Audrey said. “It’s dated. It’s witnessed by the same lawyer who handled the adoption. He’s still alive. He’ll testify.”
Margaret threw the folder on the floor. “You did this. You turned him against me.”
“I didn’t turn him against you,” Audrey said. “You did that yourself. You spent years telling him Poppy wasn’t good enough. You spent years telling him I wasn’t good enough. You spent years trying to control him. And when he finally stood up to you, you couldn’t handle it.”
Margaret lunged for her. Poppy screamed. Audrey stepped aside. Margaret stumbled. She caught herself on the desk. She looked up. Her eyes were wild.
“You’ll regret this.”
“No,” Audrey said. “I won’t.”
The front door opened.
Two police officers stepped inside. Behind them was a woman in a gray suit. Diane. Audrey’s lawyer. She had been waiting in the car.
