Chapter 12 - I SMILED AGAIN
I stood before Gwen could answer.
"She told me she got dizzy."
Margaret studied my face.
"That's all?"
"What else would there be?"
Behind me, Gwen understood.
Margaret smiled. "Exactly. She gets dramatic when she's tired."
I wanted to put her through the wall.
Instead, I picked up Gwen's beanie and handed it to her.
"Mom, can you give us a minute?"
Margaret hesitated, then left.
The door closed.
Gwen stared at me. "How are you doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Not reacting."
"I am reacting. Just later."
My phone buzzed.
Claire: WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR EMERGENCY PRESERVATION ORDERS. DO NOT TIP THEM OFF.
The next day, Paige volunteered to "help" me update my banking.
I gave her a fake account number created by the investigator.
Within thirty minutes, somebody tried to route the imaginary sixty-thousand-dollar bonus through PWP Consulting.
The digital trail went Paige to Margaret to Voss.
Clean.
Beautiful.
Criminal.
Then Claire found something even worse.
A draft petition on Margaret's laptop backup, obtained through records tied to a prior filing.
PETITION FOR GUARDIANSHIP OF GWENDOLYN HAYES.
The document claimed Gwen was mentally incompetent because of cancer treatment and substance abuse.
It requested full control over her medical decisions and assets.
Attached was a statement from a medical professional I had never heard of.
Signed witness: Aaron Voss.
"They were going to have her declared incompetent," I said.
Claire nodded. "And once that happened, they could argue any signatures she challenged were still valid because she lacked capacity."
"Can they do that now?"
"Not if we move first."
I called Gwen.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Luis called.
"David, Paige just put Gwen in the back seat of the truck."
I was already standing.
"Where are they going?"
May you like
"Toward Mason Avenue."
Storage Unit 214.
