Victoria turned sharply on her high heels and stormed into her suite.
The heavy bedroom door slammed shut with a deafening bang throughout.
Arthur rubbed his temples, taking a deep, tired breath on the landing.
He slowly walked back down the grand staircase toward the foyer floor.
Elena stood respectfully near the velvet chair, holding her hands together tightly.
Arthur: Thank you for saving my wife's portrait, Elena, truly thank you.
Elena: I could not let anything happen to little Clara's memory, sir.
Arthur picked up the brass frame and looked at his late wife.
A gentle smile softened his stern face for a brief fleeting moment.
Arthur: What did Victoria mean about a key to father's wall safe?
Elena: Sir, two nights ago I saw Miss Victoria near the study door.
Arthur: Did you see her carry anything out of the office area?
Elena: She had a small metal box concealed inside her leather tote bag.
Arthur's expression turned serious as he digested this new critical information.
Arthur: Let us go examine my father's study together right away then.
Elena followed Arthur down the long oak-paneled corridor toward the rear wing.
The estate's primary study was a grand room filled with leather books.
A large wooden desk sat directly in front of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Behind a large oil painting hung the heavy iron door of the safe.
Arthur swung the painting aside to inspect the brass combination dial lock.
The dial showed scratch marks near the outer metal edges of the lock.
Arthur: Someone definitely tried to force this lock open with metal tools.
Elena: Look at the rug near the desk legs, Mr. Sterling.
Arthur looked down and noticed a tiny silver key lying beneath the fringe.
He reached down, picked up the key, and examined its intricate teeth.
It was the master key to his father's secondary document drawer inside.
Arthur unlocked the lower wooden cabinet beneath the main study desk drawer.
Inside lay a thick leather folder tied with a faded red ribbon.
He pulled the folder out and opened it carefully on the desk surface.
Inside were financial ledgers that showed unusual recent wire transfer requests made.
Large sums of money had been moved out of the family business account.
The signatures on the authorization forms matched Victoria's handwriting perfectly throughout.
Arthur: She was draining the company reserve accounts behind my back entirely!
Elena: That must be why she was so desperate to find the will!
Arthur: She wanted to cover up her massive illegal financial transfers today!
Suddenly, the study door creaked open behind them in the quiet room.
Victoria stood in the doorway holding a small leather travel bag firmly.
Her green dress was rumpled, but her posture remained cold and defensive.
Victoria: You were never supposed to look inside that lower cabinet drawer!