Chapter 7: Marcus Makes His Move
The lawyer's name was Patricia Osei, and she called me at seven forty-five the next morning.
"He filed an emergency injunction last night," she said.
"He's claiming the documents your daughters submitted were obtained through illegal access to private medical records and are therefore inadmissible."
I was standing in the kitchen of the hotel suite in yesterday's shirt.
Through the connecting door I could hear June and Ben talking quietly.
"Can he do that?"
"He can file it.
Whether it holds is a different question." Patricia's voice was measured, precise.
"The short answer is no — the documents were in a safe deposit box that Diane opened in her own name and left instructions for.
There's a clear chain of custody.
But he knows that.
This isn't about winning the injunction."
"Then what's it about?"
"Delay.
Intimidation.
He wants your daughters to feel like this is going to be long and expensive and exhausting, so they'll consider a settlement." A pause.
"He also filed a separate civil complaint against Vanessa this morning.
Defamation.
He's claiming the voicemail has been altered."
I set my coffee down.
"Has it been?"
"No.
We had it authenticated yesterday evening after you called me.
The metadata is intact.
The voice pattern matches three verified recordings of Marcus from public conference presentations." Another pause.
"He knows it's authentic.
He's filing anyway."
"To exhaust her."
"To exhaust all of you.
This is what he does." Patricia's tone didn't change, but something underneath it sharpened.
"Rick, I need you to understand something.
Marcus has done this before.
There are two other cases — one in Germany, one in Canada — where similar complaints were filed and then quietly settled before trial.
The women involved signed NDAs.
He's managed this before."
"Not this time."
"I agree.
But I need you to be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better.
He will come at every person in your family.
He will look for anything — financial irregularities, old disputes, anything he can use to discredit a witness or create noise." She paused.
"Is there anything I should know about before he finds it?"
I thought about twenty years of raising three girls on a teacher's salary.
The second mortgage I'd taken out when Ava needed surgery at nine.
The year I'd been late on property taxes.
"Nothing that isn't already public record," I said.
"Good.
Then we stay the course." A brief pause.
"One more thing.
He contacted June directly this morning.
Personal email."
My hand tightened on the phone.
"What did he say?"
"He told her the research he conducted was intended to eliminate hereditary illness.
He framed it as a gift.
He said she and her sisters should know the truth about what he gave them before they destroy the man who gave it to them." Patricia's voice was careful and flat.
"He's trying to reframe himself as a benefactor."
"How is she?"
"I spoke to her twenty minutes ago.
She said, and I'm quoting directly — 'Tell him I'll see him in court.'"
Something loosened in my chest.
"What do we do today?"
"Today, your daughters enjoy the first day of their marriages," Patricia said.
"I handle Marcus.
That's what you're paying me for."
I picked my coffee back up.
"Patricia.
Is he actually going to face consequences for what he did to those women at the clinic?
The ones who didn't know?"
The pause was longer this time.
"The DA's office opened a formal investigation at six this morning," she said.
"The files Diane preserved were extraordinarily thorough.
She documented everything — names, dates, procedures, outcomes.
Twenty-three women over four years." Her voice was quiet now.
"Yes, Rick.
He is going to face consequences."
I looked through the connecting door.
June was laughing at something Ben had said, her head tipped back, her whole face open.
"Call me when something changes," I said.
May you like
"I will," Patricia said.
"Enjoy the morning."
