Chapter 6: The Blue Folder
Ray barely finished speaking before footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Tasha grabbed my hand.
“Who is that?””
Ray raised one finger to his lips.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a voice called from the entryway.
“Ray?””
Marcus.
My stomach twisted.
Tasha whispered, “Dad.””
Ray moved in front of us.
“How did you get in?””
Marcus appeared around the corner.
He wasn't wearing the angry expression I'd expected.
He looked calm.
Almost amused.
“You still leave your back door unlocked.””
Ray's jaw tightened.
“You need to leave.””
Marcus looked past him.
His eyes landed on us.
“Maya. Tasha.””
Tasha stepped forward.
“You followed us.””
“No.””
“You knew we'd come here.””
“I suspected.””
“How?””
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Because you're both predictable.””
I felt anger rise.
“You're unbelievable.””
He looked at me.
“Careful.””
“No.””
His smile disappeared.
“You've made a lot of accusations today.””
“And you've given us a lot of reasons.””
Tasha stepped forward.
“Where is my money?””
Marcus sighed.
“We've discussed this.””
“No, we haven't.””
“You're young.””
“Stop saying that.””
“You don't understand the responsibility of managing a large trust.””
“I understand that ninety-six thousand dollars disappeared.””
Marcus looked at Ray.
“You've been filling their heads with nonsense.””
Ray laughed.
“Your daughter found the bank records herself.””
Marcus's face tightened.
“You always hated me.””
“I hated what you became.””
Marcus looked at Tasha.
“Your mother was sick.””
Tasha froze.
“What?””
“She wasn't thinking clearly.””
Ray stepped forward.
“Don't.””
Marcus continued.
“She was paranoid near the end.””
“That isn't true,” Tasha said.
“She believed everyone was stealing from her.””
“Did she believe you were stealing?””
Marcus went silent.
Tasha nodded.
“That answer is enough.””
Marcus looked at me.
“You think you're helping her.””
“I am.””
“You're destroying this family.””
I stared at him.
“You destroyed it.””
He moved closer.
“You have no idea what I've done for you.””
I almost laughed.
“You bought me a car with her money.””
“I gave you a life.””
“No,” I said.
“You gave me things.””
That stopped him.
I continued.
“You gave me the birthday parties. The phone. The clothes. The car.””
My voice shook.
“But you made Tasha pay for all of it.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“You're being manipulated.””
Tasha suddenly spoke.
“No.””
He looked at her.
“I've spent my whole life believing you.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“And I'm done.””
Marcus stared at her.
For a moment, he looked genuinely hurt.
Then his expression became cold.
“You'll regret that.””
Ray stepped between them.
“Leave.””
Marcus laughed softly.
“You think you're in control?””
Ray's face tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Marcus looked at the table.
At the scattered documents.
Then at the empty envelope.
“Did you find it?””
Ray went still.
“The blue folder?””
Marcus nodded.
Tasha looked at me.
“What is in it?””
Marcus smiled.
“Ask Ray.””
Ray didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“What is in the folder?””
Ray finally said, “Your mother's final financial statement.””
“And?””
“It shows every transfer.””
“Then why are you afraid of it?””
Ray looked at Marcus.
“Because it proves the fraud.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at Tasha.
“It proves your mother intended something different.””
Tasha frowned.
“What?””
“She didn't trust you with the money.””
“That's a lie.””
“She changed the trust.””
“Ray said—”
“Ray wasn't there.””
Marcus looked directly at me.
“Neither were you.””
Then he turned to Tasha.
“Your mother wanted you to have control only after you proved you could handle it.””
Tasha's face fell.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because you weren't ready.””
“For seven years?””
“Yes.””
“And Maya?””
Marcus looked away.
“She was different.””
My chest tightened.
“How?””
He stared at me.
“Your mother believed you needed more protection.””
“From what?””
“From the world.””
I shook my head.
“That's not an answer.””
“It is.””
Tasha stepped closer.
“Where is the blue folder?””
Marcus smiled.
“I don't know.””
Ray's expression changed.
“You took it.””
“I didn't.””
“You're lying.””
Marcus shrugged.
“Maybe someone else did.””
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
This time, he answered immediately.
“Hello?””
His expression changed.
“What?””
A pause.
“No.””
Another pause.
“That's impossible.””
He stepped away.
I watched him carefully.
He was frightened again.
Then he whispered:
“Who gave you that?””
He listened.
His face turned white.
“Don't open it.””
I looked at Tasha.
She looked at me.
Marcus hung up.
“What's wrong?”” I asked.
He ignored me.
Ray moved toward him.
“Who was that?””
Marcus grabbed his coat.
“This is over.””
Tasha blocked the doorway.
“No.””
Marcus stopped.
“Move.””
“No.””
“I said move.””
“You're not leaving.””
He stared at his daughter.
Then, unexpectedly, his eyes softened.
“Tasha.””
She didn't move.
“Please.””
She looked at him.
“Please what?””
He swallowed.
“Don't make me tell you.””
Her voice became barely audible.
“Tell me what?””
Marcus looked at me.
Then back at Tasha.
“The trust wasn't the only thing your mother left behind.””
Tasha's face went pale.
“What else?””
Marcus opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, someone knocked on Ray's front door.
Three sharp knocks.
Everyone froze.
A woman's voice came from outside.
“Mr. Johnson?””
Marcus stopped breathing.
Ray looked at me.
Tasha whispered, “Who is that?””
The woman knocked again.
“I have documents for Maya and Tasha Johnson.””
Marcus stepped backward.
“No.””
I had never heard that word from him like that.
Not angry.
Not commanding.
Terrified.
I walked toward the door.
Marcus grabbed my wrist.
“Don't.””
I pulled away.
“Why?””
He stared at me.
Because for the first time since I had known him, my stepfather looked like a man who had just realized the truth was no longer his to control.
The woman outside spoke again.
“Maya? Tasha?””
I opened the door.
A woman in a dark coat stood on the porch holding a sealed blue folder.
She looked directly at us.
Then she said:
“Your mother asked me to give you this if Marcus ever spent money from your trust without your permission.””
Tasha stepped beside me.
The woman handed her the folder.
Tasha's fingers trembled.
She opened it.
The first page was a handwritten letter from our mother.
May you like
And the first sentence made Tasha drop into the nearest chair.
*“Girls, if you're reading this, your father has finally done what I feared most.””*
