Chapter 7 - The Second Document
Diane’s face emptied.
Ryan noticed before anyone else.
“What document?” he asked.
Jonah set his briefcase on a service table and opened it.
“I was supposed to meet Margaret tomorrow morning. She asked me to come tonight after Clara found the wire.”
Vanessa whispered, “Grandma, you brought a lawyer to my wedding?”
Grandma didn’t blink. “I brought my lawyer to protect myself.”
Jonah removed a folder.
“The bank transfer was not the first questionable item.”
He slid out a notarized form.
“This is a limited power of attorney filed six weeks ago.”
Dad frowned. “For what?”
Jonah pointed to the heading.
“The lake house.”
My chest tightened.
The Bennett lake house had been in Grandma’s family for forty years. Every summer memory I had before my parents split lived there: burnt marshmallows, wet towels on the porch, Grandpa teaching me to skip stones.
Grandma rarely used it now, but she refused to sell.
Diane folded her arms. “Margaret discussed selling it.”
“No,” Grandma said.
Jonah continued. “This document authorizes Diane Bennett to negotiate a sale on Margaret’s behalf.”
Ryan asked, “And the signature?”
“Margaret says it’s forged.”
Diane’s voice rose. “She forgets things.”
The room went silent.
Grandma’s face changed.
I felt her fingers tremble against mine.
Diane realized too late what she had said.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did,” Grandma replied.
Jonah’s voice stayed professional. “There’s a bigger issue. The notary listed on the form says she never met Margaret.”
Ryan looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa stepped back. “I had nothing to do with that.”
Jonah opened the folder again.
“The title company requested identification for the proposed seller.”
He placed a photocopy on the table.
It was Grandma’s driver’s license.
Beside it was an email printout.
From Vanessa.
Subject: MARGARET BENNETT - SELLER DOCUMENTS.
Ryan read it slowly.
Vanessa’s breathing became shallow.
“Mom told me Grandma wanted the paperwork started.”
Diane turned toward her daughter.
“Vanessa.”
But Vanessa kept going.
“She said Grandma didn’t want Clara involved because Clara would make everything difficult.”
I stared at Diane.
So did Dad.
For once, he looked truly awake.
Then Jonah removed one final page.
“The proposed buyer wired a ten-thousand-dollar deposit.”
Grandma’s voice went cold.
“Where is it?”
May you like
Jonah looked at Diane.
“It went to Bellweather Events.”
