Dead People Money

Claire tried to leave when she saw the funeral tag.

Roslyn blocked the door with one hand. "Sit down."

"My daughter needs to go home."

"Your daughter is safer in a police station than in your house."

Claire looked at Elise as if that sentence were Elise's fault.

June folded her arms. "Do not start, Mom."

The sharpness in June's voice hurt Claire more than any accusation. Elise saw it and filed it away. Claire would protect appearances until June was the cost. Then she might crack.

Roslyn played June's video on a station laptop. Vivian's voice filled the small room: If Elise gets control, she will find every policy.

When Martin answered, Claire closed her eyes.

"What policies?" Roslyn asked.

No one spoke.

Theo did. "HartLine manages trust-owned policies for high-net-worth clients. Some are legal. Some can be abused if the trustee changes beneficiaries or moves premium funding through affiliated accounts."

June stared at him. "English."

"Someone may have used the family business to make life insurance pay the wrong people."

"Dead people money," June said.

"Yes."

Elise watched Claire's hands twist together. "You knew."

"I knew Mother and Martin were fighting about client accounts," Claire said. "I did not know anyone would die."

"I am dead on paper."

"You are yelling, so no, not fully."

It was the wrong joke. Claire knew it the moment she said it.

Roslyn opened a second file. "Vivian Hart's crash report says she died at the scene on Harbor Road last Tuesday at 9:20 p.m. June's video metadata says Vivian was alive in her study at 9:47 p.m."

June whispered, "I told you."

Claire sat hard.

Elise felt the day tilt. Her mother had not simply died. Her death had been arranged, timed, and filed.

Roslyn's phone rang. She listened for ten seconds, then looked at Elise.

"Your brother just tried to withdraw forty thousand dollars from a foundation emergency account."

Elise stood. "Where?"

"Westport Bank," Roslyn said. "Using your death certificate as authorization."