Chapter 10 - The Dead Notary
“His name is George Leland,” I told Ryan. “He notarized my aunt's will years ago. He died before Sophie and Lucas were conceived.”
Ryan sat very still.
“Why would Mom give me this?”
“Maybe she thought you'd make me pay to keep the peace.”
I hated how easily those words came out.
Naomi examined the photocopy with a forensic document specialist and explained that no genuine guaranty had yet been established.
A fake signature on a page didn't automatically give a lender rights over our home or the babies' trust.
But someone might still use it to frighten us, damage our credit, or waste months of our lives.
“Do not contact the lender yourself,” she warned. “Send everything to me and Detective Ortiz.”
For once, Ryan didn't argue.
He called his mother and put the conversation on speaker with my permission.
“Where did you get Emma's signature?” he asked.
Diane answered too quickly.
“She signed the papers at the family barbecue. I remember.”
“That barbecue was in July. This document says March.”
A silence.
Then Diane snapped, “Your wife is twisting this whole thing. Brianna was scared. What happened in that kitchen wasn't intentional.”
“She punched Emma,” Ryan said.
“You weren't there.”
“Neither were you. Right?”
Diane hung up.
Naomi later showed us the lender's name: MARLOWE BRIDGE FINANCE, a private company with a mailing address above a suburban insurance office.
The purported guaranty listed our family home as an asset, but the recorded deed and loan records didn't support the claim.
A few hours later Ortiz called.
Investigators had located footage from the delivery truck on our street.
It was grainy but showed a dark sedan sitting near our garage before the assault.
The license plate was partially visible.
“We traced the vehicle,” Ortiz said.
I already knew what she was going to say.
“It's registered to your mother-in-law.”
May you like
Then Ortiz added something I hadn't expected.
“And Diane wasn't the person behind the wheel.”
