She did not have to read the letter aloud. I already knew what it said because the dates were wrong, and the signature beneath them was worse. Eleven years earlier, Walter had signed a beneficiary and restriction form specifically for blended families. At the time, I had thought it was simply another piece of paperwork he wanted organized. I never imagined it would matter this much. In paragraph two, he had named Vivian directly and stated that under no circumstances was his daughter to have authority to transfer, sell, or alter the interment rights held in my name.

Walter had read the form at his desk, given that unhappy little laugh of his, and signed it. He knew his daughter better than she ever imagined. Now, sitting across from the detective, I watched Vivian’s confidence disappear as the documents were compared. The forged letter was supposed to give her control of the cemetery plot beside Walter. But when the detective placed the two documents side by side, he looked at me, then at Vivian. “There’s something you need to understand,” he said. “This signature couldn’t possibly be legitimate.” Vivian’s face went pale…