Chapter 9: Getting It Back
The attorney's name was Diane Okafor.
Lily had found her the night before in the storage unit, on her phone, while Brent was still talking.
She met them at her office the following morning.
She was direct, unhurried, and she read through Lily's sorted documents for forty-five minutes before she said a word.
"Okay," she said finally.
She set the last page down.
"Here's where we are."
She walked them through it without softening anything.
The forged signature on the account transfer was the clearest criminal exposure — that alone carried significant weight.
The notary had already been contacted by the financial crimes unit and had retained his own attorney, which Diane said was a good sign for their case.
The eleven bank transfers were traceable.
The estate inheritance — the four hundred and thirty thousand dollars — had been partially spent, but Brent's assets, including the equity remaining in his own home, were attachable under civil recovery.
"You won't get all of it back," Diane said.
"I want to be honest with you about that.
But you will get some of it.
Possibly a significant portion, depending on what the forensic accountant finds."
"What about the house?" Mason said.
"The deed transfer."
"That never completed.
Emma's signature was never obtained for the final step.
The deed is still in your names." Diane paused.
"That's the one thing they didn't manage to finish."
Emma let out a breath.
"Because Lily found the paper," Mason said.
Diane looked at Lily.
"How did you know what you were looking at?"
Lily shrugged.
"I didn't, at first.
I just knew they didn't want anyone to see it.
So I hid it."
Diane smiled — brief, professional, but real.
"Smart."
The criminal case moved faster than Mason expected.
Brent was formally charged six weeks later.
Mason was in the backyard with Scout when Emma came to the door.
"Diane called," she said.
He looked up.
"Fraud.
Forgery.
Financial elder and dependent adult abuse — because I was a military spouse acting alone, that classification applies." She held the phone loosely in one hand.
"Three counts."
Mason nodded.
He didn't say anything for a moment.
He threw the ball for Scout, who brought it back and dropped it at his feet and waited.
"Nicole?" he said.
"One count.
Reduced.
She's cooperating fully." Emma paused.
"Diane says she'll likely avoid prison if she continues."
Mason picked up the ball.
Scout's tail moved.
"Is that okay with you?" he said.
Emma thought about it.
Really thought about it — he could see her doing it.
"I don't need Nicole in prison," she said finally.
"I need her out of our lives.
I need the money back.
I need Brent to face what he did." She looked at Mason.
"That's enough."
May you like
He threw the ball again.
Scout ran.
