Chapter 1 - The Forged Lease
I stared at the police officer as the harsh fluorescent lights of the emergency room buzzed above us.
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
I had anticipated many things when I left my house, but I had never expected my family to move quite this fast.
"No," I said firmly.
"My parents never had permission to duplicate my key."
The officer nodded slowly and jotted a quick note on his pad.
"We are going to dispatch a unit to your residence right now," he assured me.
My lawyer, Richard, was still on the phone, listening to every word through the speaker.
He told me to let the police do their job and to meet them at the house.
I drove back to my own neighborhood with a bandage taped over my eyebrow and a cold knot of dread in my stomach.
Two police cruisers were already parked in my driveway, their red and blue lights flashing against the pale green siding of my home.
I stepped out of my car just as the front door swung open.
My sister Bethany stood on the porch, looking completely relaxed in my favorite fuzzy slippers.
"What seems to be the problem, officers?" she asked with a perfectly innocent smile.
I told the police that she was trespassing and that I wanted her removed immediately.
One of the officers stepped forward and asked Bethany to step outside.
Instead of complying, Bethany casually reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a folded piece of white paper and handed it to the officer.
The policeman scanned the document, his expression shifting from authoritative to hesitant.
He turned toward me with a sympathetic sigh.
"I am sorry, Ms. Donovan, but we cannot force her to leave," the officer said.
I felt the ground shift beneath my feet.
"What are you talking about?" I demanded.
May you like
The officer held up the paper so I could see it under the porch light.
"She has a signed, notarized residential lease agreement bearing your signature."
