Chapter 4
The lawyer's office was downtown, in a tall glass building.
Amy and I sat across from a woman named Sarah Chen.
She was sharp, professional, and didn't waste words.
I told her everything.
About the money.
About the party.
About the deed.
About what Amy had endured.
Sarah listened carefully, taking notes.
When I finished, she leaned back in her chair.
"Okay," she said.
"Here's what we're looking at."
"First, the trespassing and assault charges against your mother are criminal matters."
"The district attorney will handle those."
"But we can pursue civil action as well."
"For the emotional abuse your wife suffered."
"For the financial fraud."
"And for the attempted theft of your property."
I nodded.
"What about the money?" I asked.
"The three thousand dollars a month."
"Can we get that back?"
Sarah nodded.
"Potentially. We'll need to subpoena your mother's bank records."
"See where the money went."
"If she spent it on personal items, luxury goods, or anything not related to your household, we can argue it was obtained through fraud."
"She misrepresented her purpose for receiving the funds."
"That's a strong case."
Amy spoke up for the first time.
"What about the deed?"
Sarah looked at her.
"Your cousin Mason had it in his possession."
"Do we know why?"
I shook my head.
"The police are questioning him."
"But based on what I heard... I think my mother was planning to forge my signature."
"Transfer the house into her name."
Sarah's expression hardened.
"That's serious."
"Real estate fraud carries heavy penalties."
"Both criminal and civil."
She paused.
"Here's what I need you to do."
"First, go home and change all the locks."
"Get a security system installed."
"Your mother and her associates have already shown they're willing to enter your property without permission."
"Don't take any chances."
"Second, gather all your financial records."
"Bank statements, pay stubs, everything."
"We need to build a clear picture of what was taken."
"Third, document everything your wife can remember about the abuse."
"Dates, specific comments, incidents."
"It will be important for both the criminal and civil cases."
I nodded.
"We'll do it."
Sarah stood up.
"One more thing."
"Your mother is going to try to play the victim."
"She'll say you're overreacting. That it was just a family misunderstanding."
"She'll try to manipulate you into dropping the charges."
"Don't let her."
I thought about what Amy had been through.
About my son's fever.
About the deed in Mason's folder.
"I won't," I said firmly.
On the way home, we stopped at the pediatrician's office.
Dr. Patel checked Frederick thoroughly.
"He has a viral infection," she said.
"Nothing serious, but it's good you brought him in."
"The fever was pretty high."
She looked at Amy.
"How are you doing, Mom?"
Amy hesitated.
Then she started crying.
Dr. Patel didn't say anything.
She just handed Amy a tissue and waited.
When Amy calmed down, Dr. Patel spoke softly.
"Being a new mother is hard enough without extra stress."
"If you ever need to talk, or if you need resources for support, my office can help."
She gave Amy a card with numbers for support groups and therapists.
"Take care of yourself too," she said.
"You can't pour from an empty cup."
As we left the doctor's office, Amy held the card tightly.
"Maybe I should go," she said quietly.
"To therapy."
I squeezed her hand.
"Whatever you need," I said.
"I'm right here with you."
When we got home, the first thing I did was change the locks.
Then I called a security company.
And while they installed cameras and an alarm system, Amy and I went through the house.
Room by room.
Looking for anything else my mother might have taken.
Anything else she might have hidden.
And in my home office, behind the safe where the deed should have been, I found something.
A small notebook.
May you like
Filled with my mother's handwriting.
And as I started reading, my blood turned to ice.
