Chapter 10 - THE FIRST HEARING
The courthouse smelled of floor polish and old coffee. I wore a plain blue jacket. Lois wore lavender again, as if choosing a color that frightened her would mean admitting defeat.
Jessica sat across the aisle, looking soft and wounded. Michael was between us, though he seemed to belong nowhere.
Her attorney argued that I was angry, confused, and prone to sudden violence. She showed the edited birthday video. I wanted to stand and shout. Priya put a steady hand on my wrist.
“Our client acknowledges that she reacted physically,” Priya said when it was our turn. “She is prepared to answer for that. But a disputed financial signature and a threatened real-estate sale are separate issues.”
She presented the recorded deed of trust, Gabrielle Mills's affidavit denying notarization, and the full videos from Lois and Nina. The judge watched Jessica aim her elbow into my frame. Then she watched me push the photograph toward Jessica's face.
“Neither action improves this family's standing in my courtroom,” she said. “Let's keep our attention on the property documents.”
The judge granted temporary relief preventing the disputed sale and release from being relied on until a fuller hearing. She made clear it wasn't a ruling on who had committed fraud.
Jessica's face barely changed. Her attorney, however, stopped taking notes.
Outside, Michael caught my arm. “Mom, the house is all we have.”
“No,” I said. “It's what you built your life around. That's different.”
He swallowed. “The lender called me. The business accounts are frozen while they review the documents.”
“Then tell them the truth.”
He looked toward the elevator where Jessica had disappeared.
“There is something I haven't told you,” he said. “The night Frank died, Jessica asked me to get into his safe. I told her no.”
I stepped away from him.
Frank had been dead four years. Michael and Jessica had been married five.
“What was she looking for?” I asked.
“The original loan agreement. And Mom—she wasn't alone.”
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