Chapter 6 - THE BANK WITNESSES
The bank found both employees.
Dad had been a customer there for forty years.
He asked two staff members to witness a trust amendment and a separate personal-property memorandum.
Date:
June 14.
Two months before his death.
One employee was a branch manager.
The other a notary.
They remembered him because he complained about their coffee.
That sounded exactly right.
They confirmed:
Dad signed voluntarily.
Appeared competent.
Understood he was amending estate documents.
No one else present.
The notary log contained his entry.
Document title:
Third Amendment to Alistair Vale Revocable Trust.
Pages:
Nine.
Then:
Personal Property Memorandum.
Three pages.
Did the bank retain copies?
No.
Dad brought documents.
Signed.
Left with originals.
The notary did not read substantive terms beyond what was required to notarize.
So we still did not know contents.
Then Dad called Naomi that afternoon.
Her billing note:
Client confirms execution completed. Will store originals in workshop cabinet. Needs to send copy.
There.
Validity still had legal questions.
But existence no longer speculative.
Then Sophronia’s attorney changed position.
Previously:
No evidence signed amendment existed.
Now:
Dad may have executed something while under medication and family strain.
Could competence be challenged?
Yes.
Did bank witnesses observe confusion?
No.
Medical records around that date:
Stable outpatient heart failure.
No delirium.
No cognitive diagnosis.
He drove himself.
Bought lumber afterward.
Hard challenge.
Then undue influence.
Did I pressure Dad?
I had not known about amendment.
Did Sophronia?
Apparently she knew he was considering changes.
Her own text from June 12:
If you change the trust because Dacre complains, I’ll know exactly what this is.
Dad:
Dacre has not asked me to change anything.
There.
Then:
Sophronia:
So this is punishment?
Dad:
It is correction.
Correction of what?
Still unknown.
Then June 15:
Sophronia:
You signed it, didn’t you?
Dad:
Yes.
Sophronia:
Where is it?
Dad:
Safe.
She knew.
The next text:
Sophronia:
You are making a mistake.
Dad:
Then you can tell the judge after I’m dead.
Dad was not subtle.
That was the first time I laughed during the entire estate dispute.
Naomi did not.
“This means he anticipated challenge.”
“What does that tell us?”
“Only that he knew Sophronia disagreed.”
Then:
“Did he ever tell her where it was?”
“No message we have.”
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But Sophronia had started looking for a key after his death.
The link strengthened.
