Sarah walked up the stairs to her father's private study room.
The floorboards squeaked under her light leather shoes.
She knew her father kept all estate documents inside a iron safe.
The safe was kept behind a large oil painting of their old country house.
Helen followed her closely up the carpeted hallway.
Helen: You have no right to go into your father's private room.
Sarah: I have every right to check my mother's legal trust.
Sarah pushed the heavy oak door open with her hand.
The study smelled of old paper and bitter dark coffee.
She walked straight to the painting hanging behind the desk.
Sarah swung the golden frame to the left side slowly.
The small black keypad of the safe was exposed to the daylight.
She remembered the code her mother had taught her years ago.
Her fingers pressed four numbers into the flat surface.
The green light flashed once with a soft click sound.
Helen gasped behind her and grabbed the edge of the desk.
Helen: Stop touching things that do not belong to you!
Sarah: The trust fund inside belongs to me by law.
Sarah pulled the heavy iron door wide open.
Inside the safe lay several thick stacks of white paper.
She pulled out the top folder labeled with her mother's full name.
Her hands trembled as she untied the black ribbon around the folder.
The top document was a recent bank balance statement.
Sarah scanned the numbers listed on the printed page.
The main account balance was nearly zero dollars.
Over three hundred thousand dollars had been moved out last month.
Sarah turned around to face Helen with wide eyes.
Sarah: Where did my mother's life insurance money go?
Helen: Business investments require large amounts of capital, Sarah.
Sarah: This money was placed in a legal trust for my education and care.
Helen: Your father signed those transfer forms himself.
Sarah: My father would never clear out my trust without telling me.
Helen raised her chin and looked down at Sarah.
Helen: Ask him yourself when he returns home tonight.
Sarah reached back inside the dark interior of the safe.
Her hand touched a small velvet box tucked behind the file folders.
She pulled the red box into the open light.
She flipped the silver latch open with her thumb.
Inside lay three more gold necklaces belonging to her late mother.
Each piece was tagged with a small price label for a local shop.
Sarah looked at the tags with absolute shock.
Sarah: You were planning to sell her heirlooms at a shop downtown!
Helen: Those old items were sitting in the dark doing nothing.
Sarah: You had no right to put price tags on my family's memories!
Helen took a step back toward the open doorway.
Helen: Put those files back before your father sees this mess.
Sarah: I am taking these documents directly to my lawyer.
Helen reached out to grab the paper folder from Sarah's hands.
Sarah pulled the folder back against her chest quickly.
Sarah: Do not touch me or these legal papers!