Chapter 3 - THE CABINET RUSSELL HAD NEVER SEEN OPEN
The keys belonged to a cabinet in Amelia’s private archive room.
Russell knew the room existed.
He did not know about the cabinet.
That fact embarrassed him.
The archive occupied a narrow space behind Amelia’s dressing room where temperature-controlled drawers held photographs, jewelry boxes, old family papers, and insurance inventories.
During Amelia’s illness, Seraphina managed the catalogue.
Russell rarely entered.
Amelia had once joked that he could remember the value of forty commercial properties but not which necklace had belonged to her grandmother.
The cabinet stood behind a paneled door Denise had always assumed covered utilities.
Two locks sat six inches apart.
Russell inserted Caleb’s key into the left lock.
Seraphina’s key went into the right.
He did not turn either.
“Why two locks?”
Seraphina leaned against the doorway.
“Dual control.”
“Meaning?”
“Both keys had to be present.”
“Who had them?”
“Amelia and me.”
Denise looked at her.
“Why you?”
“Because I maintained the inventory.”
Russell turned toward her.
“And after Amelia died?”
“I kept mine.”
“Why?”
“She asked me to.”
“Did she ask you to wear it around your neck?”
Seraphina’s eyes hardened.
“No.”
Russell turned both keys.
The locks released.
Inside were no piles of cash.
No jewels glittering in velvet.
Only files.
Dozens of them.
Each labeled in Amelia’s handwriting.
HALDEN FAMILY COLLECTION.
CONSIGNMENTS.
INSURANCE.
CHARITABLE GIFTS.
PERSONAL LOANS.
Russell pulled out the first binder.
Several inventory pages had red marks beside individual pieces.
SOLD.
ON LOAN.
DONATED.
RETURNED.
Beside certain entries were initials.
A.H.
Others:
S.V.
Russell looked at Seraphina.
“What did you sell?”
“Items Amelia authorized.”
“How much?”
“It varied.”
“How much?”
“Over several years? Around nine hundred thousand.”
Denise inhaled.
Russell’s voice dropped.
“Amelia sold almost a million dollars of jewelry?”
“Not all at once.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
Seraphina gave him a long look.
“That question is for your wife.”
The words landed brutally because Amelia could not answer.
Russell found a bank deposit summary.
The proceeds had not gone into Amelia’s ordinary personal account.
They went to an entity called Aster Reserve LLC.
Russell had never heard of it.
Denise noticed another file.
ASTER DISBURSEMENTS.
Inside were checks.
Large ones.
Some made payable to Halden Development Group.
Russell’s company.
His face went still.
One check was for $185,000.
Another for $240,000.
Another for $310,000.
All deposited during the worst eighteen months of Amelia’s illness.
Russell looked at Seraphina.
“What is this?”
Seraphina answered softly.
“Your wife was keeping your company alive.”
Russell sat down.
May you like
For the first time that night, the secret did not appear to belong to Seraphina.
It appeared to belong to the woman buried at St. David’s churchyard.
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