Chapter 6: Before the Sale Goes Through
Daniel filed an emergency motion to halt the property sale by four o'clock that afternoon.
I was sitting in his office when the confirmation came through.
He set the phone down and said, "The court has issued a temporary restraining order.
The sale cannot close until the challenge is heard."
"How long do we have?"
"The hearing is set for three weeks out.
That's enough time to get the forensic examination done and the notary's affidavit filed." He looked at me over his glasses.
"Vanessa's attorney will push back hard.
Be ready for that."
I was ready for more than that.
I called my father that evening.
He picked up on the first ring, which told me he'd been waiting.
"Emily."
"I need to know what you knew, Dad.
And I need you to tell me the truth, because my attorney is going to ask you the same question under oath if this goes to a hearing."
A long silence.
"I knew the will was different from what Grandpa had originally told us he wanted."
"How long have you known?"
"Since 2013.
Since just after he passed."
The word landed like something dropped from a height.
"You knew.
For eleven years."
"Vanessa came to me after the funeral.
She showed me the filed will.
She said Grandpa had changed his mind.
I had questions, but — Emily, she was grieving.
We all were.
And the property was already transferred."
"She told Grandpa I had agreed to the arrangement.
Did you know that?"
Silence.
"Dad."
"She told me you'd been consulted and didn't object."
"I was never contacted.
Not once."
Another silence.
Longer this time.
"I didn't verify it," he said finally.
"I should have.
I know that."
"You let eleven years go by."
"I thought it was done.
I thought — I told myself it was what he'd wanted in the end."
"He wrote a letter.
He said he signed because he was afraid.
Vanessa sat across from an eighty-one-year-old man and told him his family had already agreed, and she brought the papers already prepared.
Did you know that?"
Nothing on the line but his breathing.
"No," he said.
"I didn't know that."
"I need to know if you'll testify to what you just told me.
That Vanessa told you I had been consulted and agreed.
That you never verified it."
"Emily—"
"Yes or no."
The pause was the longest yet.
"Yes," he said.
"I'll testify."
I exhaled slowly.
"Thank you."
"Emily." His voice had dropped to something I hadn't heard from him in a long time.
"I'm sorry.
For last night.
For sitting down instead of standing up.
For eleven years of sitting down."
I didn't tell him it was fine.
It wasn't fine.
But I told him I'd heard him, and I hung up.
Noah was at the kitchen table doing homework when I came in.
He looked up.
"Is everything okay?"
"It's getting there," I said.
He went back to his worksheet.
Then, without looking up: "Grandpa called me today.
He said he was sorry about the card."
I stopped in the doorway.
"What did you say?"
"I said okay." He turned a page.
"Is that the right thing to say?"
"Yeah, buddy.
That's exactly the right thing to say."
I made dinner.
We ate together.
He told me about a project on the American Revolution his class was starting and asked if we could visit a real battlefield sometime.
I said yes.
My phone buzzed after he went to bed.
A text from Vanessa.
*You have no idea what you're doing.
Stop this now or I will make things very difficult for you and for Noah.
I mean that.*
May you like
I screenshotted it.
Sent it to Daniel with three words: *Add this too.*
