Chapter 6 - VIVIAN'S VERSION
Vivian finally spoke through her attorney.
Not to confess.
To explain.
She said Nora had become controlling.
That Nora isolated Daniel from family.
That Nora manipulated trust documents.
That Nora treated Lily like property.
Then she made the accusation everyone feared.
Nora poisoned herself.
Why?
To frame Vivian.
Harris stared at the statement.
Motive?
Vivian claimed Nora discovered financial irregularities in the Mercer Family Trust and feared blame.
So she staged the poisoning to eliminate Vivian as alternate trustee.
It sounded absurd.
Until Harris checked the financial irregularities.
There were some.
$410,000 in unexplained management fees over four years.
Authorized before Nora became trustee.
Approved by:
Vivian.
Paid to:
Doyle Asset Services.
Vivian’s company.
There it was.
Another motive.
Nora had found the fees two weeks earlier.
She asked Daniel about them.
Daniel said he did not know.
Vivian was asked for backup documentation.
She delayed.
Then guardianship papers appeared.
Then Nora collapsed.
The poison was no longer just about future control.
It might have been about old money.
Vivian’s company claimed the fees covered legitimate administration.
Some services existed.
Others did not.
Invoices repeated identical descriptions across different years.
Harris brought in forensic accountant Lena Morris.
Her conclusion:
Some fees were defensible.
Some were inflated.
At least $160,000 lacked clear support.
Not $2 million.
Not an empire.
Enough to create shame.
May you like
Enough to threaten Vivian’s identity as the “responsible one.”
Sometimes people do terrible things not to gain millions, but to stop everyone from discovering they took thousands.
