A black sedan pulled up the long driveway toward the mansion.
Two men in sharp gray suits stepped out onto the gravel road.
They held official legal badges in their right hands.
The lead investigator walked up toward David on the steps.
Investigator: David Miller, we have a warrant for your financial records.
David: I am not going to run away from you gentlemen.
Leo stepped back and stood beside Clara near the stone pillar.
He looked at his father with a mixture of sadness and betrayal.
Leo: Are you going to cooperate with them, Dad?
David: Yes, Leo. I am done hiding behind these walls.
Evelyn began to cry softly as she held David's arm.
Evelyn: We can hire the best defense lawyers in the state, David.
David: No, Evelyn. It is time to tell the complete truth.
David turned around and walked up toward the Investigators.
He motioned for them to follow him into his private study.
David: All the original transfer documents are inside my floor safe.
Investigator: Thank you for your cooperation today, sir.
Clara watched the men walk through the grand double doors.
She let out a long, quiet breath into the warm air.
The heavy weight she had carried for twenty years felt lighter.
Leo looked down at his ruined dress shirt and bruised knee.
He turned his attention back to the red-haired woman beside him.
Leo: I want to go to Vermont to see my uncle Marcus.
Clara: He would like that very much, Leo.
Clara: He remembers very little, but he remembers your mother.
Leo: I am so sorry for what my father did back then.
Clara: You are not responsible for your father's past choices, Leo.
Leo looked up at the giant white mansion in the afternoon sun.
The high stone pillars no longer looked impressive to him.
They just looked like a golden cage built on empty promises.
Leo: We are going to sell this house and pay everything back.
Clara: That will be up to the court to decide next month.
Clara put her masquerade mask back inside her satin handbag.
She picked up her leather gloves from the marble steps.
She looked down the long driveway toward the open metal gates.
The truth was finally out in the open daylight for everyone.
Clara: My family can finally rest now, Leo.