Chapter 12 - FRIDAY'S BUYER
Mom walked into the title office the next morning holding her identification and the deed to the cabin she'd shared with my father. She asked for a chair because her knees were swollen, but she refused to let me speak for her.
"I did not authorize a sale," she told the title officer. "I did not give Vivian Bennett permission to sign for me."
The officer examined the disputed paperwork, paused the transaction, and referred the matter for further review. June sought a court order preserving the property while Mom's independent lawyer challenged the document.
Outside, Mom sat on a bench and cried.
"Dad painted that porch every spring," I said.
"Badly," she answered through tears. "The railings were always sticky."
We laughed, then held on to each other while traffic passed.
Across town, Ryan's business was coming apart. Public filings showed overdue debts against his home-improvement company. He had built his image around polished trucks, charity dinners, and a smile that made people lend him money. Behind it were unpaid subcontractors and borrowed cash.
Detective Mills called with a development. The listed buyer for Mom's cabin was a newly formed company connected to Derek Shaw's brother.
"Does that make the sale fraudulent?" I asked.
"Not by itself. But we want to know who arranged it."
My phone buzzed with a message from Ryan: YOU COULD END THIS TODAY. JUST SIGN THE AGREEMENT.
A file followed. He wanted me to withdraw my allegations, restore access to the supplementary accounts, and grant him exclusive use of our former house during the divorce.
The document also demanded that Margaret retract her statement.
May you like
I sent it to my lawyer without replying. Then another message appeared.
DON'T MAKE MOM TESTIFY. SHE WON'T LIKE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
