Chapter 14 - THE HEIR WHO WALKED INTO COURT
Vanessa arrived at court in a black dress and a veil, as though grief were something she could rent for the afternoon.
She sat beside Halden, hands folded, while her attorney described me as unstable and Julian as a man presumed lost. I watched the judge read the medical reports and felt my nails dig into my palms.
"Mrs. Swift," the judge said to Vanessa, "have you had any recent contact with your husband?"
"None," Vanessa answered. "It's been agony."
The courtroom door opened.
A wheelchair rolled in. A deputy guided it to the front, and my son raised his head.
"You can ask me about that," Julian said.
The sound Vanessa made was not a scream. It was a sharp little breath, like someone whose chair had disappeared beneath her.
Halden dropped his pen.
Julian's identity had been confirmed through official records and medical identification. Quinn was present, along with hospital documentation and the investigators handling his unlawful confinement. He described his imprisonment, the signatures he refused to provide, and the threats made against his daughter.
The judge listened without interrupting. Then she turned to Vanessa.
"Is this your husband?"
Vanessa blinked. "He looks like him."
"You may answer the question."
"Yes."
The judge ordered continued protective arrangements for Maya pending further proceedings, required the parties to preserve evidence, and referred the disputed documents for investigation.
Vanessa began to cry. This time there were no television cameras positioned to flatter her.
Outside the courtroom, Julian insisted on speaking to me alone.
"I need to tell you something before the police do," he said.
"Whatever it is, say it."
"I was going to confront Mercer weeks before the boat. But somebody warned him. Somebody I trusted had been receiving copies of my reports."
May you like
He looked straight at me.
"Mom, the reports were coming from your personal office."
