That night, a heavy rainfall drummed against the roof of Victoria's mansion.
The large stone house sat isolated at the end of a private drive.
Sarah pulled her old sedan up to the side gate and cut the headlights.
She knew Victoria was out attending a high-society charity gala downtown.
This was Sarah's only real chance to search the private house office.
She used her spare key to unlock the heavy wooden side door.
The house was completely dark and filled with a eerie, heavy silence.
Sarah stepped inside, her wet shoes squeaking softly on the tile floor.
She moved quickly down the main hallway toward the private study.
Her heart beat wild inside her chest like a trapped bird.
She pushed open the heavy oak door to Victoria's office room.
The room smelled strongly of expensive leather, cigar smoke, and polished wood.
A giant steel safe stood quietly in the corner behind the desk.
Sarah knew the combination because it had been their mother's birth date.
She knelt before the safe and turned the dial with great care.
Left to twenty-four, right to zero-eight, left to sixty-two.
The heavy lock clicked loudly inside the metal door frame.
Sarah pulled the door open and pulled out stacks of financial files.
She flipped through the folders using a small handheld flashlight beam.
Bank statements showed huge transfers to off-shore accounts in the Bahamas.
Victoria had been stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars every single month.
Then, right at the bottom of the safe, lay a velvet folder.
Inside was the original, stamped codicil signed by their late father.
Sarah: I found it, thank God, I actually found it.
Suddenly, the bright overhead lights flooded the room all at once.
Sarah blinked against the sudden glare and dropped her flashlight.
Victoria stood in the doorway, wearing a long black velvet gown.
Her face was twisted into a rage that made her look scary.
Victoria: I knew you would turn out to be a thief, Sarah.
Sarah: The only thief in this room is you, Victoria!
Victoria: Give me that paper right now, or I call the police.
Sarah: Call them, let them see these off-shore bank accounts!
Victoria took three quick steps across the room toward Sarah.
She reached out to snatch the folder straight from Sarah's hands.
Sarah: Stay away from me, Victoria!
Sarah ducked around the massive desk and held the folder tight.
She rushed toward the open doorway before Victoria could catch up.
Victoria grabbed the back of Sarah's rain jacket with full strength.
Victoria: You will not ruin my life over that stupid child!
Sarah turned around and pushed Victoria's hands away with all her power.
Victoria stumbled backward, tripping over her long formal dress hem.
She fell back against the heavy desk, gasping in utter shock.
Sarah did not wait another second and ran out into the rain.