Mr. Davenport flipped open a folder. “Mr. Malden has handed over all the documents on your estate. And for the last three hours, I’ve had the opportunity to go through them.”
The churning in my stomach settled for the moment. I wasn’t about to get my hopes up. Kelton reached under the table and rested his hand on my thigh. I placed mine on top of his. For so long I’d been on my own with no one to turn to, and while I could fight for what was mine, his love, his presence, and his strength were a balm to my frayed edges.
“It appears from these documents that Mr. Malden has been draining the estate of cash. He’s failed to file any tax returns. He’s failed to pay any debt of the estate, and he’s also failed to provide Ms. Reardon’s living expenses.” He glanced at Terrance. “Under the law, I have no grounds to have you arrested. However, Ms. Reardon has a right to bring a civil suit against you, which we will discuss in a minute. The Florida courts can also hold you in contempt. But you wanted to say a few words.”
Terrance bobbed his head at Mr. Davenport before setting his apologetic gaze on me. “After our conversation in the police van, I thought long and hard about what you said.”
Kelton gripped my hand tightly. I glanced at Mr. Davenport. He studied Kelton for a moment before writing something down on a piece of paper. Yeah, he knew.
“Your father and I were great friends,” Terrance continued. “I’d have done anything for him. But when he asked me to watch over you if something ever happened to him and your mother, I was speechless. I told him I wasn’t the right person. He’d said he didn’t trust anyone else, not even the little family he or your mother had.” He lowered his gaze briefly. “I’ve never been a good father. I put my kid through hell. I stole from him too. Gambling is an addiction that’s hard to break. I cursed your father in his grave. I’m still angry with him for dying and for thinking I was the right person for this job. I was supposed to be on that boat with them that weekend.” Tears formed in his eyes.
I was supposed to have been on the boat with my parents as well. I had to sympathize with Terrance. I was also angry that my parents were taken from me, but that wasn’t anyone’s fault. Habit or not, sympathy aside, he stole from me. He has a disease.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I’m not proud of what I’ve done. You made me see that I need to make vast changes in my life, especially now with a grandbaby on the way. So I’m entering a rehab facility. But I will do what I can to cooperate with the attorneys and the courts to make this right.”
“How much have you gambled away?” I asked.
Mr. Davenport pulled a piece of paper out of a folder. “Roughly six hundred thousand dollars has been depleted from the bank accounts. Is that correct, Mr. Malden?”
“Yes. But there’s the two hundred thousand that’s left in the bank account, and I have three hundred thousand in winnings from recent poker games that I’ll return immediately.”
“How can I be sure I’ll get that money?” Once Terrance walked out, he could very well disappear.
“Terrance and I have already started the paperwork for the wire transfer,” Mr. Davenport said.
I let out a quiet breath.
“That’s the cash part of the estate,” Kelton chimed in. “But what about the rest, the 401Ks or any other monies her parents had?”
“Fortunately, her parents had set up a separate trust specifically for the 401Ks,” Mr. Davenport explained. “And that trust hasn’t been touched. Mr. Malden couldn’t touch it anyway. The details outline there’s two point five million in 401Ks. When Ms. Reardon finishes college, she will be paid a portion of the monies from the 401Ks on an annual basis, leaving the balance to grow and adjust with market fluctuations.”
My breath caught in my throat. I remembered Mr. Pilkington telling me after my parents’ funeral that I’d be set for life. I also recalled something about a million dollars, but I hadn’t paid close attention during that meeting. I slumped in my chair, gripping Kelton’s fingers, holding back tears of joy that the majority of the money was tied up in 401Ks and Terrance hadn’t had access to those accounts. But I wasn’t out of the woods yet. Mr. Davenport explained that Terrance hadn’t filed any tax returns or paid any bills associated with the estate. I couldn’t be certain, but I guessed the IRS would want their share regardless of a trustee’s theft of the money.
“Ms. Reardon?” Mr. Davenport said. “Are you okay?”