Chapter 6 - THE UNEXPLAINED WILLMarcus Vance was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Richard Vance received thirty-five years for murder conspiracy and grand theft.
Eleanor Vance was given twenty years for wire fraud, extortion, and obstruction of justice.
As the guards led them away in handcuffs, Eleanor suddenly stopped beside my chair in the aisle. Her eyes were red, her face blotchy from crying.
"Jane," she whispered desperately, the guards tugging at her arms to keep her moving. "Check the safety deposit box at First City Bank. Box 402. There’s something... something you don't know. About Samuel."
"Move along, ma'am," the guard ordered, pushing her forward toward the holding cells.
I stood in the corridor long after the courtroom emptied, her final words echoing in my mind.
Box 402. Something about Samuel.
Was it a trap? A final, desperate attempt by a manipulative woman to sow doubt in my mind and ruin the memory of the man I loved? Or was there one final secret hiding in the shadows of this nightmare?
Two days later, I took my driver's license and the legal death certificate of my late husband to First City Bank in downtown Columbus.
The bank manager led me down into the vault, an eerie, climate-controlled basement filled with rows of gleaming stainless-steel lockers. He used his master key, inserted my key, and turned them in unison.
Click.
The small metallic door swung open.
Inside Box 402 sat a single, thick manila envelope tied with string. There was no money. No jewelry. Just documents.
I carried the envelope to a private viewing booth, sat down under the fluorescent lights, and unwound the string.
Inside was a legal document titled: LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF SAMUEL VANCE.
It was dated four days before his death.
My hands trembled as I opened the front cover. Attached to the will was a hand-written letter in Samuel’s elegant, precise handwriting.
My dearest Jane, my heart leaped as I read his words, tears instantly welling in my eyes.
If you are reading this, it means I am no longer with you. It means my worst fears have come to pass. I know what your family is doing, Jane. I know about Marcus’s debts, and I know that your father has been blackmailing me for months.
May you like
I gasped, pressing a hand against my mouth.
Blackmailing him? For what?
