Chapter 3 - HOW THE REEDS KNEW MY FATHER
Thomas Reed had been my father’s private accountant.
Alan Brooks hired him almost twenty years earlier to help restructure commercial properties.
I never knew because Dad kept business separate from home.
Then Alan became sick. Pancreatic cancer. Fast.
He created an asset-protection trust for me.
Why not tell me?
Because I was twenty-five, grieving, and Dad believed a former partner might sue the estate.
So he named Thomas temporary trustee until I turned thirty.
Then Thomas introduced me to Derek two years later at a charity dinner.
I had always thought it was random.
It was not.
Detective Collins asked:
“Did you arrange that introduction because of the trust?” Thomas cried. “Yes.”
My stomach turned. Then:
“Did Derek know?”
“Not at first.” “Margaret?” “Yes.” There.
Thomas was supposed to transfer control to me when I turned thirty.
Instead Margaret convinced him to delay. Why?
Northline Medical Properties had borrowed against trust assets during a commercial downturn. Unauthorized.
They needed time to repay. Later. Again.
Then Derek learned.
He asked to be added as co-trustee.
“Did I approve?” “No.” Forgery. “Who forged?”
Margaret used signature samples from mortgage papers.
“Did Derek know?” “Yes.”
The room went cold.
My husband had not known the trust when we first met.
But he knew before our wedding. That mattered.
Then after marriage he began receiving payments.
Derek’s consulting company: $680,000. Margaret: $420,000. Family support: $290,000.
Then the $430,000 beneficiary settlement.
Used to buy a waterfront condo titled only to Derek. He shouted:
“That condo was for us!” I stared.
“My name isn’t on it.” Silence.
Then Detective Collins asked Thomas about the fall.
He had not seen Derek push.
But he heard my scream. Then impact.
Then Derek saying:
“Abby, get up.” Then Margaret:
“Did she take the files?” There.
He heard them. Then:
“Why tell paramedics nothing?” Thomas cried.
“Margaret said if Derek went to jail, Northline would fail and employees would lose jobs.” Again. Family. Employees. Business.
Always something bigger than me.
Then Derek was arrested on domestic assault-related charges.
Margaret was removed from hospital and investigated separately.
Thomas agreed to cooperate.
I was moved to a protected room.
The next morning attorney Caroline Blake came.
She specialized in financial exploitation and domestic abuse.
She read Alan’s trust.
Then looked at me.
“Abigail, your father built a successor clause.”
If Thomas breached fiduciary duty and a Reed family member benefited improperly, successor trustee automatically became:
Abigail Brooks Reed. Me.
Immediately upon verified breach.
I did not need Thomas to give anything back.
Then Caroline found another schedule.
If I died before thirty-five without children, remaining assets passed to Brooks Community Foundation. Not Derek.
Then a trust amendment from six months earlier.
New death beneficiary: Derek Reed. Signature: Mine. Not mine. Notary: Margaret Reed.
Then Caroline asked when Derek increased my life-insurance coverage.
Three months earlier.
From $500,000 to $3 million.
Then Detective Collins pulled Derek’s browser history.
“survivorship trust beneficiary spouse.”
“probate if wife dies without will.”
“life insurance accidental death stairs.”
No search proved intent alone.
But context changed everything.
Then a text between Derek and Margaret two days before my fall. Derek:
“Once Abby signs, everything is clean.” Margaret: “She won’t.” Derek:
“Then we need another way.”
The prosecutor did not call it attempted murder yet.
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But suddenly being pushed down the stairs no longer looked like an angry moment.
It looked like the one thing that could make Derek rich if the forged amendment survived me.
