Chapter 7: What Martin Webb Found
Martin Webb was not what Patty had expected.
He was younger than Ruth by at least ten years, wore no tie, and carried his files in a canvas bag that had a coffee stain on the side.
He shook Patty's hand, sat down at the kitchen table, and opened his bag without preamble.
"Ruth briefed me.
I've been working with the DA's office since yesterday afternoon." He pulled out a folder.
"Here's where we are."
He walked her through it in plain language.
The forged power-of-attorney form had been submitted to the bank with a notary stamp from a firm in the next county.
The notary's name was Raymond Chu.
Martin had already spoken to Raymond Chu that morning.
Raymond Chu had not notarized any document for Patty Henderson.
His stamp had been copied from a previous legitimate document and reproduced.
"That's stamp fraud," Martin said.
"Separate charge from the document fraud.
It pulls in Raymond Chu as a potential witness for us — he's cooperative, because his professional license is at stake."
"Who copied the stamp?"
"We're working on that.
The document was prepared on a computer, printed, and submitted by fax.
The fax originated from a copy shop in Trent and Nora's neighborhood." He turned a page.
"We have the fax records."
Patty looked at the page.
The timestamp.
The address of the copy shop.
The receiving fax number at the bank.
"What about the conservatorship petition?"
"Filed by Hargrove and Sloane yesterday evening.
Gerald Sloane is the attorney of record." Martin looked up.
"Here's the thing about that petition — it requires a medical evaluation.
An independent physician has to assess your cognitive function.
That evaluation is scheduled, according to the filing, for next week."
"They scheduled it without telling me?"
"They listed a physician.
Dr.
Harold Fenwick.
Private practice, two towns over." Martin's expression was neutral but his eyes were not.
"Dr.
Fenwick has provided supporting evaluations in three prior conservatorship cases in this county.
All three petitioners were represented by Hargrove and Sloane."
Patty set down her coffee cup.
"He's their doctor."
"He's a doctor they have used before.
Whether there's a formal relationship is something we're looking into." Martin turned another page.
"What I can tell you is that you have every right to request an independent evaluation from a physician of your own choosing.
And I would strongly recommend you do that this week — before their scheduled evaluation."
"Ruth mentioned your name in the context of the district attorney's office," Patty said.
"Is this going to become a criminal matter?"
"It already is one," Martin said simply.
"The forged signature, the copied notary stamp, the fax records — that's a package.
The DA has reviewed the preliminary materials.
They are interested." He paused.
"The question is how far this goes and how quickly.
That depends in part on what else we find."
"What else are you looking for?"
"Financial records.
If Trent or Nora moved any money from accounts connected to you — even small amounts, testing the waters — that changes the charge level significantly." He looked at her.
"Has anything ever seemed off?
A withdrawal you didn't make?
A charge you didn't recognize?"
Patty thought.
"I stopped looking at my statements as carefully after David died.
For about a year.
I couldn't bear to see his name still on things."
Martin wrote something down.
"We'll request a full audit going back three years.
Janet at the bank has already been cooperative — Ruth tells me she flagged the account on her own initiative."
"She did."
"Good." Martin closed the folder.
"Mrs.
Henderson, I want to be honest with you.
This is going to take some time.
The conservatorship petition will be heard by a judge.
We will oppose it.
Given what we have, I believe we will prevail — but it will require you to appear, to be evaluated, and to sit in a courtroom while your son's attorney argues that you are not capable of managing your own life."
Patty looked at him.
"I've been managing my own life for seventy-one years," she said.
"I can manage a courtroom."
Martin almost smiled.
"I believe you."
He stood to leave, then stopped.
"One more thing.
Diane — she's willing to testify?"
"She said she would."
"Good.
Her evidence is strong.
But I want to prepare her for what Trent's attorney will try to do.
They'll go after her credibility.
Her history.
The divorce." He looked at Patty.
"She needs to know that's coming."
"I'll call her today."
After Martin left, Patty sat at the kitchen table for a long time.
She looked at David's rose bushes through the window.
He had planted them the spring after they moved in.
Every year he had pruned them himself, carefully, with the small handled clippers that still hung in the garage.
She had not touched them since he died.
They had grown wild and sprawling, the way things do when the person who tends them is gone.
She made a decision.
May you like
She would call the gardener in the morning.
It was time to start tending things again.
