Get that filthy creature out of my nursery right now, or I'll have the groundskeeper shoot it, my daughter-in-law, Victoria, snarled as I brought home a bleeding Golden Retriever I had just pulle...
The State Internal Affairs office assured me they would investigate Chief Bradley, but I knew that such investigations could take weeks, even months. Time was a luxury Claire hadn’t had. My focus remained on the forged documents that had stripped Claire of her parental rights, the core of Victoria’s legal claim over Leo.
I needed to find the source. The name Eugene Gable kept surfacing in the Aldrich estate’s archived legal files. He was a veteran estate notary and insurance adjuster, an old-money fixture who had handled the Montgomery family’s accounts for decades. If anyone knew about the paperwork surrounding Claire, it would be him.
His office was on a tree-lined street in downtown Newport, occupying the top floor of a stately brick building. The day was overcast, and rain streaked down the large windows of his office, mirroring the grim mood in my heart. The air inside was heavy with the smell of old paper and stale coffee.
Eugene Gable, 52, was a meticulously dressed man with thinning gray hair and nervous eyes. He sat behind a massive cherrywood desk, stacks of folders piled around him. He looked up, startled, as I entered, escorted by one of my security officers.
“Mrs. Aldrich,” he stammered, adjusting his tie. “To what do I owe this… unexpected visit?”
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. I laid out my evidence directly on his polished desk. First, the photos of Claire’s uncashed checks and passport from the storage unit. Then, a printout of the wire transfer details: the $150,000 from Harrison Montgomery to Chief Bradley’s offshore account, and the $50,000 payment to Arthur Pendelton.
“I have sworn affidavits from Arthur Pendelton detailing Victoria Montgomery’s cash payment to conceal a vehicle,” I began, my voice even, though my blood was boiling. “And my forensic team has identified intentional sabotage to the brake lines of that vehicle.”
Gable’s face, already pale, turned ashen. His eyes darted from the documents to my face, then back again.
“Mrs. Aldrich, I… I don’t know anything about this,” he mumbled, his voice trembling slightly.
“Don’t you?” I countered, my gaze unwavering. “You were the notary who handled Claire Davenport’s supposed ‘custody relinquishment’ document. The document that said she voluntarily gave up all rights to her son, Leo, and disappeared without a trace.”
I pushed a copy of that infamous document across his desk. “A document that, according to my legal team, is a forgery. The signature is not Claire’s.”
Gable recoiled as if burned. He pushed his chair back, nearly knocking over a stack of ledgers.
“I… I can’t talk about client matters,” he stammered, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Then let me talk,” I said, leaning forward. “You’re a trusted estate notary. Your reputation is your lifeblood in this town. You know the legal implications of notarizing forged documents. You know what happens when an official of your standing is found complicit in a high-society cover-up, especially one involving potential homicide and the deliberate obstruction of a police investigation.”
I didn’t raise my voice, but my words were sharp, cutting through the silence of the room.
“I have already contacted State Internal Affairs regarding Chief Bradley. My next call will be to the State Licensing Board for notaries and insurance adjusters. They tend to take these matters very seriously. The penalties are severe, Mr. Gable. Loss of license, ruin of reputation, criminal charges, perhaps even prison time. All for what? To cover for Victoria Montgomery’s greed?”
Gable stared at the rain-streaked window, his composure completely dissolving. He put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.
Overcome with panic and remorse, he broke down. Quiet sobs wracked his body, mixing with the gentle drumming of rain against the glass.
“She forced me,” he choked out, his voice muffled. “Victoria… she had too much on me. Financial irregularities from years ago. Minor things, but enough to ruin me.”
He lifted his head, his eyes red and swollen.
“Three weeks after Claire vanished,” he confessed, tears streaming down his face. “Victoria came to my office. She had the document ready. She stood over me, watching as I affixed my seal. Said if I didn’t, she’d expose everything. Said it was for the good of the family. A clean break.”
He wiped his face with a trembling hand. “I knew it wasn’t Claire’s signature. I knew it. But I did it anyway. And I’ve lived with it every single day since.”
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