Chapter 9 - The Man Who Knew Too MuchNolan Price arrived at Evan's office at 10:06 a.m. without an appointment.
He wore a charcoal jacket and carried the same slim leather portfolio he had used for years.
The receptionist told Evan he was downstairs.
Evan's first reaction was anger.
His second was fear.
If Nolan knew about the tablet, what else did he know?
Rebecca had already advised Evan not to question potential witnesses recklessly.
So instead of meeting Nolan alone, Evan asked her to join by phone.
They used the office conference room.
Nolan entered with his usual polished smile.
“Evan. You look exhausted.”
Evan didn't return the smile.
“It's been a difficult couple of days.”
“Claire told me.”
“What did she tell you?”
“That there was a misunderstanding with Lily.”
Evan felt his jaw tighten.
“A misunderstanding?”
Nolan settled into a chair.
“Children can be difficult. Claire has been under enormous pressure.”
Rebecca spoke through the conference system.
“Mr. Price, I'm Rebecca Bell. I'm advising Evan regarding the family and trust matters.”
Nolan's smile faded slightly.
“An attorney?”
“Yes.”
“I wasn't aware this was a legal meeting.”
“Neither was I,” Evan said. “You came without an appointment.”
Nolan adjusted his portfolio.
“I came because we have a deadline.”
“What deadline?”
“The property transaction.”
“There is no authorized transaction.”
Nolan paused.
“I think there's been some confusion.”
“Then explain it.”
Nolan opened his portfolio and produced a summary.
The document proposed selling the house to Oak Hollow Holdings.
The stated price was $710,000.
Closing was anticipated within forty-five days.
The proceeds would remain in the children's trust, subject to transaction costs and reserves.
Evan read the document carefully.
“Why is the price so low?”
Nolan cleared his throat.
“The house requires substantial updates, and the recent safety concerns create additional urgency.”
“What safety concerns?”
“Claire's reports.”
Evan looked up.
“You've never examined Lily.”
“Of course not.”
“You're not qualified to assess whether the house is harming her.”
“I'm relying on household documentation.”
“Prepared by Claire.”
Nolan hesitated.
“Among other sources.”
“What other sources?”
Silence.
Rebecca spoke.
“Mr. Price, who requested the sale process?”
Nolan looked toward the speaker.
“Evan discussed the possibility.”
Evan shook his head.
“I discussed whether relocation might eventually be necessary. I never authorized a sale.”
Nolan's fingers tightened around his pen.
“Sometimes verbal instructions get interpreted broadly.”
“Not when they involve a children's trust,” Rebecca replied.
Nolan closed the portfolio.
“I think we should continue this when everyone is less emotional.”
Evan leaned forward.
“Did you disable my hallway camera?”
Nolan froze.
Only for an instant.
Then he nodded.
“Yes. I performed maintenance.”
“On June 4?”
“Yes.”
“On March 3?”
“I don't remember individual dates.”
“Why was the recording zone covering the staircase repeatedly disabled?”
Nolan looked at Rebecca's speaker.
“I'd need to review the technical logs.”
“Claire asked you to turn it off,” Evan said.
“Claire reported privacy concerns.”
“What privacy concerns?”
Nolan's eyes moved toward the door.
“She didn't want the children recorded during disciplinary incidents.”
Evan went very still.
Rebecca asked, “What kind of disciplinary incidents?”
Nolan swallowed.
“Normal parenting situations.”
“Did you observe any?”
“No.”
“Then why did you describe them that way?”
Nolan stood.
“I think this conversation has become accusatory.”
Evan didn't rise.
“Noah says you saw him hiding his tablet.”
Nolan looked directly at him.
“I saw your son behaving suspiciously around the security equipment.”
“He was trying to record what Claire was doing.”
“Children sometimes misunderstand adult discipline.”
“He was afraid of his stepmother.”
Nolan's expression tightened.
“Evan, be careful. You're risking your family over accusations that may not hold up.”
Evan stared at the man.
He remembered Nolan attending Sarah's funeral.
He remembered him bringing food when Lily was a baby.
He remembered trusting him with financial paperwork and spare keys.
“What happened to you?” Evan asked quietly.
Nolan looked away.
For the first time, he seemed older.
“Twelve years of knowing your family doesn't mean I can solve every problem in it.”
“No,” Evan replied. “But it should mean you don't help create one.”
Nolan left without shaking hands.
Rebecca stayed on the call.
“That was useful,” she said, “but we still need independent confirmation of what he changed and why.”
Evan nodded.
He had heard enough to be worried.
Not enough to prove the entire chain.
An hour later, he received a security notification.
Someone had tried to access the family system using Nolan's administrator credentials.
The attempt had been denied after the provider suspended administrative changes at Evan's request.
Evan took a screenshot and forwarded it to Rebecca.
Then he checked the email Nolan had sent that morning.
Attached was a revised version of the property summary.
The file contained tracked changes.
Most were minor.
One was not.
A paragraph titled Trustee Continuity had been added.
It stated that if Evan withdrew from his duties because of family circumstances, the successor trustee could review pending property decisions.
Evan knew the successor trustee named in Sarah's trust.
He hadn't thought about that provision in years.
Now he understood why Grant had been so interested in whether he was overwhelmed.
May you like
His older brother wasn't simply attending the property meeting.
He was next in line to control the house.
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