Chapter 18 - Closing Day
December 31 arrived cold and clear.
There would be no closing.
Instead, Patricia’s office hosted three angry couples, two investigators, and a stack of documents showing how close strangers had come to buying property I had never offered for sale.
I met Sandra and Greg Holt again.
Sandra squeezed my hand.
“I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“I’m sorry it happened to you too.”
The money was frozen in the business account before it could disappear.
Most of the buyer deposits were recovered.
What could not be recovered became part of the restitution claim.
Dileia’s lawyer asked whether I would write a letter saying I did not want her prosecuted.
I said no.
Then he asked whether I wanted the maximum punishment.
I said no to that too.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“The truth on paper.”
I wanted the forged documents acknowledged.
The unauthorized entry documented.
The buyer money accounted for.
The liens cleared.
My parents protected from further signatures.
And my sister required to face consequences without me being cast as either her savior or executioner.
That afternoon, Dad called.
“We changed our locks.”
“Good.”
“We froze the home equity line.”
“Good.”
“And your mother has an appointment with a counselor.”
I leaned against my kitchen counter.
“That’s good too.”
There was a long pause.
Then he said, “We’re learning not to call you first.”
That one hurt in a good way.
At 5:42, my security app sent another motion alert from Caldwell Street.
My body reacted before my brain did.
I opened the feed.
A black SUV was parked outside.
A woman in a dark coat stood at the upstairs door.
She held a clipboard.
May you like
Then she looked directly at the camera and raised a document toward it.
PROPERTY INSPECTION - COURT ORDER.
