Chapter 6 - The Scars of the Estate
With the criminal trial concluded, the court ordered the complete liquidation of the Whitmore assets to pay restitution to the state, the victims of Caleb’s fraud, and the legal fees incurred.
I returned to the Whitmore estate one final time, accompanied by Jonathan Miller and two court-appointed trustees.
The grand house was empty now. The high-end art had been packed away into wooden crates, the mahogany furniture tagged for auction, and the grand chandeliers covered in white sheets.
I walked into the grand dining room where it had all ended.
The oak dining table was gone, leaving four faint square marks on the Persian carpet where its heavy legs had rested for thirty years.
“Are you going to be okay, Eleanor?” Jonathan asked gently, standing near the doorway.
“I’ve never been better, Jonathan,” I said, looking around the quiet room. “For six months, this house felt like a gilded cage. Now it just feels like an old building.”
“You know,” Jonathan smiled, handing me a manila envelope, “the State Attorney General called me this morning. They want to offer you a permanent position as Chief Forensic Auditor for the Special Investigations Unit.”
I took the envelope, looking down at the official seal.
“A position catching men like Caleb?” I asked, a soft smile touching my lips.
May you like
“A position ensuring that women like you don't have to carry the burden alone,” Jonathan corrected softly.
I looked back at the swinging kitchen door where Detective Vance had stepped through three months ago. The rain was falling outside again, but this time, the sky didn't look dark or threatening. It looked clean, washed fresh by the storm.
