The night before the preliminary court hearing, rain poured over the city streets of Dallas, splashing against the windshield of Hannah's car. She pulled up near the outer perimeter wall of the Miller mansion estate, turning off her headlights to avoid drawing attention from the front security camera. Hannah knew that entering the property was risky, but her attorney needed concrete evidence of the original signed trust to present to the probate judge the next morning. If she waited until after the court hearing, Victoria might destroy the contents of the garage lockbox forever. Hannah slipped on a black rain jacket, checked on her baby girl who was being watched safely by her trusted neighbor back at the apartment, and stepped out into the dark night.
She moved quietly along the tall brick wall until she reached the side service gate, which Sarah had left slightly unlocked from the inside earlier that evening. The gate creaked softly as Hannah pushed it open, stepping onto the wet grass of the mansion garden. She moved carefully past the swimming pool area toward the detached guest house garage. The bright floodlights illuminated the manicured lawn, but Hannah stayed in the heavy shadows cast by the oak trees. She reached the garage door, her heart hammering wildly against her chest. She pulled open the small side entrance door and stepped into the cool, dark space.
Hannah: It has to be in here somewhere.
She switched on a small flashlight, sweeping the beam across storage shelves filled with expensive toolboxes, spare luxury car tires, and dusty art crates. In the back corner of the garage stood a large grey metal gun safe. Hannah approached the safe, remembering the dates Mark had always used for his security codes. She dialed in Mark's birth year, followed by their wedding date, and clicked the handle down. With a soft metallic heavy click, the safe door swung open. Inside sat the black steel lockbox Sarah had described over the phone.
David: I knew you would be stupid enough to come back here tonight!
Hannah whipped around, her flashlight beam catching David standing in the open doorway of the garage. He was holding a golf club in his right hand, his face twisted in a cruel, malicious sneer. The overhead garage lights suddenly clicked on, blinding Hannah for a moment as she held the lockbox tightly against her ribs.
David: Put that box down right now, Hannah! You are trespassing on private property!
Hannah: This box belongs to my late husband, David! You have been hiding his real will!
David: Nobody cares what that box contains! Once I call the police, you will be spending the night in a jail cell!
Hannah: Go ahead and call them! Let the police open this box in front of the district attorney!
David took a step forward, raising the golf club higher as his eyes narrowed with anger. He stepped into the light, revealing a dark purple bruise on his cheek from where Hannah had slapped him earlier that afternoon. He looked furious that a woman he considered beneath his wealthy family was standing up to him so fearlessly.
David: You ruined everything when you married Mark! He was supposed to leave his entire share of the company to me!
Hannah: Mark knew what kind of person you were, David. That is why he protected his daughter!
David: Hand over the box or I will take it from you by force!
Hannah: Touch me again and you will spend the next ten years behind bars for extortion!
Suddenly, the sharp headlights of a police cruiser flashed through the garage windows, casting bright red and blue lights across the white walls. Victoria rushed into the garage behind David, her face pale with sudden panic as she looked back toward the long mansion driveway.
Victoria: David, stop! The police are already here!
David: What? Who called the police to our house?
Hannah: I called them fifteen minutes ago before I entered the gate. I told them a stolen trust document was being held at this address.
David lowered his golf club slowly, his face turning completely white as two uniformed Dallas police officers walked briskly into the garage with flashlights raised. The night was about to end very differently than Victoria and David had planned.