THE CITY

CHAPTER SIX

The following morning they were all sited in Joseph Browns office their father’s lawyer except Veronica.

“Where’s she? What’s taking her so long?” Michael said angrily.

“Relax Michael she will be here soon.” Edward said.

She came in shortly after that with tears falling from her eyes. She cried even more when she saw him. Her sister Ruth saw her and stood up to ask her what was wrong. But she couldn’t speak she just pointed at Michael and kept crying. The first words she said surprised everyone in the room.

“He killed him! Michael killed our father. How could you?”

“Veronica what are you saying? Michael would never do such a thing.” Edward said having a hard time believing what was happening.

“When I stayed back the other night Mr. Thomas gave me a pendant with a riddle in it, ‘behind that which is her is the venom that killed me.’ That was the riddle. I didn’t understand it at first but I finally understood what he meant. It was behind the huge portrait of mother in dad’s bedroom. The portrait was that which is her. So I looked behind it and saw Dads safe. It didn’t take me long to figure out the combination we all know what that is by now. Inside I found this.”

She threw the envelope she was carrying on the table in front of the lawyer and the tape recorder. When they played the tape they could hardly believe what they were hearing.

“These are all his illegal dealings you are looking at a twenty five year sentence that is without adding the murder of your old man. Seems your brother was planning to leave you guys out on the cold street.” The lawyer said after going through the papers.

“You don’t understand. You guys don’t understand. Our father was crazy!” Michael said in his defense. He stood up and left the room as fast as he could. He knew it was just a matter of time before the police came looking for him

“Edward, the responsibility of this family now rests on your shoulders. Father would have wanted it this way. We trust you will look out for us.” Ruth said. She was barely holding herself together at this point.

The lawyer Joseph Brown pushed the papers and pen over to him. Without saying anything he picked up the pen and started scribbling his signature on all the papers naming him as the protector of the family fortune.
                                                                   
                                                         THE END!