Chapter 15 - The Hearing
Brandon had told the court that I frightened him. In the courtroom, he couldn't look at me.
His lawyer asked me about grief, sleepless nights, and arguments after Dad's death. I answered honestly. I'd been sad. I'd worked too much. Once I'd cried in a grocery store because a jar of olives reminded me of Dad's terrible sandwiches. None of that made me incapable of choosing where to live or who controlled my assets.
The judge reviewed the hospital records, my employer's declaration, and the preliminary security footage. She asked Brandon's lawyer why the private evaluator had signed a letter before the alleged crisis occurred.
"The report described concerns already present," his attorney said.
"Then why does it describe the incident at 9:17 p.m. in the past tense?" the judge asked.
No answer came quickly.
Gertrude took the stand and said she'd acted out of love. When asked about the oil and disabled alarm, she claimed she had been cleaning and that the detector was under repair. Daniel presented Nora's service log showing no repair was scheduled.
The judge denied Brandon's request for temporary guardianship. She said the evidence did not support stripping me of decision-making authority, and she left the disputed transfers to the appropriate civil and investigative proceedings.
Outside the courtroom, I exhaled for what felt like the first time in a week.
"That doesn't mean we won everything," Daniel warned.
"I know. But they don't get to call my refusal a diagnosis."
Renee called as we reached the elevator. The forensic accountants had traced a large part of the transferred money into an escrow account connected to a property deal. They were seeking a freeze, but some funds had already moved again.
"Who controls the escrow?" I asked.
May you like
Renee's answer turned my relief cold.
"Patrick Ellison. And he's trying to empty it this afternoon."
