Chapter 1 - The Legal Strike
“Detective Vance,” I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as I stared at the text message on my phone. “She’s trying to drain the accounts by Tuesday. We don’t have until noon.”
Detective Vance read the message over my shoulder. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man who had seen the worst of humanity, but the image of Jessica sipping a margarita while Lily lay dying behind the glass clearly struck a nerve. He pulled out his radio.
“I’m calling the District Attorney right now,” Vance said. “You get Judge Harrison on the line. We need an emergency asset freeze and a felony warrant for child endangerment and attempted manslaughter.”
I didn't waste a second. I dialed Judge Harrison’s private number. We had worked together for a decade in family court. When he answered, I didn't say hello. I just said, “Arthur, my granddaughter is on a ventilator, and the woman who put her there is in Cabo stealing my dead son's life insurance. I need a ghost protocol on all her assets.”
“Send me the hospital report and the guardianship decree, Evelyn,” the Judge said, his voice instantly turning to steel. “Give me ten minutes.”
It took exactly eight.
By 10:00 a.m., a federal injunction was slapped on every single bank account, credit card, and trust fund associated with Jessica’s name and my late son’s estate. The financial umbilical cord was cut.
May you like
I walked back to the glass window of the ICU. Dr. Rostova was adjusting Lily’s IV. I placed my hand against the cold glass.
You fight, my sweet girl, I thought, tears finally hot against my cheeks. You fight to wake up. Nana is going to burn her world to the ground.
