“Enough,” I said.
Deputy Collins stepped forward. “I’m going to need personal belongings identified and this residence cleared. If anyone wants to dispute ownership, that happens somewhere else.”
Declan made one last pathetic attempt, claiming Bradley had promised him repayment for some business deal. Fiona muttered that Marjorie, as his mother, had every right to secure family documents. One of the younger cousins quietly started unzipping the suitcase he had packed, as though perhaps invisibility might still save him.
Elena opened the black folder again.
“Before anyone says another careless thing,” she said, “you should know Bradley anticipated this challenge. He left signed copies of prior demand letters concerning unauthorized use of his name, evidence of attempted account access, and surveillance stills from an earlier visit to this property during his hospitalization.”
Declan went pale.
That was when I knew: Bradley hadn’t merely expected them.
He had anticipated exactly who would touch what.
Elena placed three still images on the dining table.
In the first, Declan stood in Bradley’s study during the week of his hospitalization, one hand in a drawer.
In the second, Fiona held a folder open beneath the desk lamp.
In the third, Marjorie used her key at the front door while glancing over her shoulder.
No one spoke.
Even Deputy Collins looked impressed.
“He installed interior cameras after a prior incident,” Elena said. “Those files are backed up offsite.”
Marjorie’s mouth opened, then closed.
