“He sat in that very armchair and told me he’d made a terrible mistake giving Victoria access to the company accounts.”

A green fireproof safe was bolted to the floor behind a low wooden screen.

“He knew she was secretly taking out high-interest personal loans against every family asset she could get her hands on,” Vance said.

“He never said a word to me about those loans,” I said.

Vance put the key into the heavy upper lock of the fireproof safe and turned it until the bolt clicked back.

“Walter was a quiet man, Avery, but he wasn’t a foolish one,” Vance said, pulling the heavy steel door open.