Chapter 10: The Forged Witness
My father stared at his own name for what felt like forever.
“That isn’t my signature.””
Daniel held the phone closer.
“Look carefully.””
“I don’t need to.””
Dad’s voice hardened.
“I never signed this.””
Nathan stepped beside him.
“Neither did I.””
I looked from one man to the other.
Two signatures.
Two denials.
One dead woman who couldn’t defend herself.
“Can Michael really do this?””
Daniel shook his head.
“Filing a document doesn’t make it valid.””
“But the county accepted it.””
“They accepted it for filing. That is not the same as a court determining it’s genuine.””
Dad pointed at the screen.
“Then we prove it’s fake.””
“That’s exactly what we do.””
Daniel downloaded the filing.
The alleged amendment was seven pages long.
Mom’s signature appeared on the last.
I enlarged it.
It looked real.
Almost.
The L in Laura had the same loop.
The B in Bennett curved exactly the way Mom wrote it on birthday cards.
A chill ran through me.
“Whoever did this had samples.””
Daniel looked toward the boxes surrounding us.
“Plenty existed.””
Dad’s expression darkened.
“And Vanessa had access to Laura’s letters.””
Nathan shook his head.
“Michael had access to Laura’s handwriting long before Vanessa did. They grew up together.””
Daniel nodded.
“We need originals.””
He called his office.
“Rachel, pull the complete Laura Bennett trust file from archive. Everything. Originals if we still have them. Especially documents from September and October 2023.””
He listened.
“Yes. Immediately.””
When he ended the call, I asked the question I was afraid to ask.
“What happens to the house while this is disputed?””
“You stay there.””
“Michael can’t remove me?””
“No.””
His certainty helped.
A little.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dad immediately said, “Don’t answer.””
Daniel held out his hand.
“Let me see.””
The number was local.
Nathan stared at it.
“I know that number.””
“Whose?””
He looked at me.
“Michael’s office.””
I answered on speaker.
“Hello?””
A man laughed softly.
“Emily.””
I recognized Uncle Michael’s voice even after all those years.
“Uncle Michael.””
“I was wondering when someone would finally call me that again.””
Dad leaned closer.
Daniel silently motioned for everyone to stay quiet.
Michael continued.
“I assume you found your mother’s little archive.””
My stomach tightened.
“How do you know?””
“Laura was predictable.””
“You forged her signature.””
“Careful.””
His voice stayed calm.
“Accusations can become expensive.””
“You’re trying to steal my house.””
“I’m trying to correct what your mother did.””
“It was hers.””
“It belonged to our family.””
“And she inherited it.””
“She manipulated our parents.””
Dad couldn’t stay silent.
“You stay away from my daughter.””
Michael paused.
Then laughed.
“Richard.””
Dad’s face tightened.
“You always were slow.””
“What does that mean?””
“You married the woman I sent into your life and never even realized it.””
Dad went pale.
Daniel wrote something on a scrap of paper.
KEEP HIM TALKING.
I asked, “Did you pay Vanessa to marry Dad?””
“No.””
Michael sounded almost amused.
“I paid Vanessa to get close enough to understand him.””
“Why?””
“Because I needed to know whether Richard would fight Laura’s trust.””
“And when he wouldn’t?””
“I moved on.””
“To me?””
A pause.
“Yes.””
The word chilled me.
“The rent?””
“I suggested Vanessa teach you responsibility.””
“You suggested she manufacture evidence that I was a tenant.””
“Those are your attorney’s words, not mine.””
I looked at Daniel.
His expression said everything.
Michael knew exactly what he was doing.
“What about the amendment?””
Michael became quiet.
Then he said, “Your mother signed it.””
“No, she didn’t.””
“You were sixteen. You weren’t in the room.””
“Dad supposedly was.””
Michael laughed again.
“That’s between Richard and his conscience.””
Dad lunged toward the phone.
“I was at the hospital almost every hour that week. Laura never signed that document.””
“Almost every hour.””
Dad froze.
Michael had emphasized almost.
I saw something flicker across Dad’s face.
Memory.
“What?”” I whispered.
He shook his head.
Michael continued.
“Ask your father where he was between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on October seventh.””
Dad’s face drained.
The date meant something.
“What happened October seventh?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
Michael did.
“Your father left the hospital.””
“Where did he go?””
Dad closed his eyes.
“I met Vanessa.””
The words hit me hard.
“What?””
“She called me.””
Dad’s voice cracked.
“She said she was in trouble.””
Michael sounded satisfied.
“There you go.””
I stared at my father.
“You left Mom four days before she died to meet Vanessa?””
“For forty minutes.””
“Why?””
“She threatened to come to the hospital.””
I stepped away from him.
Dad followed.
“Emily, listen to me.””
Michael interrupted.
“Richard, stop embarrassing yourself.””
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“Michael, this is Daniel Price.””
Silence.
Then Michael’s voice became colder.
“Daniel.””
“You filed a purported trust amendment I have no record of drafting or witnessing.””
“Laura used another attorney.””
“Name them.””
“You’ll find out.””
“You also submitted affidavits bearing signatures two witnesses deny making.””
Michael paused.
“Then perhaps your witnesses are lying.””
Daniel smiled without humor.
“Good. We’ll test that under oath.””
Michael hung up.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
His assistant.
He answered.
“Yes?””
His face changed.
“Are you certain?””
He listened.
Then looked at me.
“We found something.””
“What?””
“The original trust file contains a sealed envelope Laura instructed us not to open unless someone challenged Emily’s ownership.””
My heart began pounding.
“What’s inside?””
Daniel swallowed.
“I don’t know.””
“But there’s something written on the front.””
Dad asked, “What?””
May you like
Daniel looked directly at me.
“Evidence concerning Michael Mercer.””
