Chapter 5 - The Attorney’s Office
Later that afternoon, Delilah and I sat in Marcus Sterling's plush downtown office. Noah was happily coloring a picture in the receptionist's area outside.
Marcus reviewed the documents Delilah had found, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is a textbook case of fraud, Eleanor. This fake deed Evan mocked up wouldn't pass a basic county clerk inspection, but it was enough to intimidate your daughter."
"I want to press charges," Delilah said, her voice stronger than it had been the night before. "But I also want my house back. Noah's room is there. His toys are there."
"Oh, you'll get the house back," Marcus smiled sharply. "But if we just show up with the police now, Evan will claim it was a misunderstanding. He'll say the listing was a mistake. We need them to commit to the fraud fully. We need them to accept an offer."
"How do we do that without actually losing the house?" I asked.
"We provide the buyer," Marcus said, leaning back in his leather chair. "I have a private investigator I work with. His name is Dave. Dave loves playing the role of a wealthy, naive cash buyer looking for a quick investment property."
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The plan was brilliant. We would let Evan and Margaret believe they had won. We would let them pack their bags, sign the fraudulent closing papers, and think they were walking away with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And then, we would drop the hammer.
