“Actually, I have to thank you, Sarah.”
“Thank me?”
“I stopped by your apartment earlier this week. I used that emergency key Mom and Dad have. I hope you don’t mind. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d borrow that book you mentioned.”
She had not mentioned any book.
We both knew she was lying.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I asked quietly.
“I found your little safe, actually. Behind that boring map in your office.”
Mom and Dad exchanged confused glances.
Vanessa continued, delighted with herself.
“And since you never got around to changing the combination from Mom’s birthday, which is frankly terrible security, by the way, I took a peek inside.”
The room went still.
“Vanessa,” Mom said carefully, “what are you talking about?”
“Sarah’s been hiding cash in a safe.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Well, not cash exactly. Some kind of old bonds or certificates. They looked ancient, probably something Grandpa left her. And since Sarah clearly wasn’t doing anything with them, just letting them sit there gathering dust, I figured she wouldn’t mind if I borrowed them.”
“Borrowed them?” I repeated.
“For the college fund. Those papers were just sitting in your safe doing nothing. But Derek’s adviser says they can be cashed and reinvested for actual returns. We’re helping you, really. Otherwise, you would just leave them there forever.”
She pulled the folders from her purse.
She had actually brought them to dinner like trophies and set them on the table.
“See? Just some old government bonds or something. The adviser says they’re probably worth a few thousand. Maybe ten thousand if we’re lucky. Still nothing to sneeze at.”
Derek leaned forward to examine the documents.
“These do look legitimate. The firm should be able to process them next week.”
“Vanessa,” I said, my voice very calm. “Did you enter my home without permission?”
“Don’t be dramatic. I used a key.”
“Did you force open my locked office door?”
She waved a hand dismissively.
“I learned some things from YouTube. It wasn’t that hard.”
“Did you crack my safe security system?”
“There’s an app for that.”
She gave me a look that was almost pitying.
“Honestly, Sarah, if you’re going to keep valuables, you need better protection. Anyone could have gotten in there.”
I looked at my parents.
Dad was frowning now, starting to realize this might be more serious than Vanessa was making it sound.
Mom still looked confused, caught between her two daughters.
“You entered a secured residence without authorization,” I said to Vanessa. “You opened a locked office, compromised an electronic safe, and took the contents.”
“Took?”
Vanessa laughed.
“Sarah, we’re family. It’s not taking when it’s from your sister. Besides, you clearly weren’t using them. When was the last time you even looked at those papers?”