Chapter 10 - The Witness Who Wasn't There
"Lana Price," Maya read. "Does that name mean anything to you?"
Sarah remembered the woman immediately. Clara had introduced her as a friend from an event-planning job. Lana had stood near the dining-room window, barely touching her meal, then left before cake.
Detective Ortiz contacted her. Lana arrived at the station with trembling hands and a stack of pay stubs.
"I'm a notary, but I never notarized those loan documents," she said. "Clara offered me two hundred dollars to witness an unrelated form. She asked me to bring my identification. I shouldn't have left my bag unattended."
Her electronic notary credentials had been accessed without authorization days later. Investigators would need technical evidence to prove who used them, but the dates aligned with the forged recordings.
"Why did you leave the party early?" Ortiz asked.
Lana stared at the tabletop. "Because I heard a child crying in the pantry. Clara said it was nothing. I didn't believe her, and I was afraid to get involved."
Mark received that detail by telephone and felt his throat close. His daughter had needed adults to act, and too many had looked away.
Lana agreed to provide her device and communications for examination. A message from Nolan's number had instructed her to "bring the stamp setup" to the party, even though no legitimate closing was scheduled.
That night, Sarah and Mark told Sophie they believed her and that more adults were helping now. Sophie nodded, then asked if she could sleep with the hallway light on.
"As long as you want," Sarah answered.
Their conversation was interrupted by Maya's call.
"The judge granted an emergency hearing on the property records," she said. "But someone just filed an affidavit claiming your mother promised Clara half the house."
May you like
"Mom never did that," Mark said.
"I know. Here's the problem. The affidavit appears to have been signed two days after your mother died."
