Eight Minutes Before the Sale
Chapter 08 - Eight Minutes Before the Sale
Mack left the jail at 7:12 the next morning.
The court hearing began at eight.
His attorney, Claire Dawson, met him outside the courthouse with Lena and the CPS caseworker.
Claire was a sharp-eyed woman in her sixties who had once represented Mack when the county tried to close his garage.
She listened as he explained the trust, the guardianship documents, and Sarah’s arrest.
“Do you have proof Grant intends to sell?” she asked.
“Sarah says the hearing is today.”
“That gets us through the door. It doesn’t stop the judge.”
They entered the courtroom at 7:52.
Grant sat beside a corporate attorney and two representatives from Ridgeway Distribution. He wore a gray suit and looked composed.
He seemed genuinely surprised when Mack walked in.
The judge reviewed the documents.
Grant claimed Sarah had suffered years of emotional instability. He described Eli as a vulnerable child who needed financial security.
Selling the land, he argued, would pay for private schooling, counseling, and a stable home.
Claire stood.
“Your Honor, the child was found yesterday with injuries that are currently under investigation. His mother disputes the guardianship agreement and is being held on charges that may involve the petitioner.”
Grant’s attorney objected.
The judge asked for evidence.
Claire produced the CPS emergency order.
The judge read it carefully.
Grant’s face remained calm, but his left hand tightened around a pen.
“The property sale is suspended for fourteen days,” the judge said. “No transfer, loan, or alteration of the trust will occur until the custody matter is reviewed.”
Mack exhaled.
Grant turned toward him.
There was hatred in his eyes.
Outside the courtroom, reporters surrounded them. Grant’s public image made the dispute irresistible to local news.
He gave a polished statement about protecting a traumatized child from a dangerous motorcycle organization.
Mack refused to speak.
As he reached the courthouse steps, Claire handed him a copy of the guardianship agreement.
“Look at the witness signature,” she said.
Mack recognized the name.
Thomas Vale.
Vale had been Daniel’s attorney and one of Mack’s oldest friends.
He had died four years earlier.
The document was dated three months ago.
Mack looked back toward Grant.
The guardianship papers were not merely questionable.
They were impossible.
Then Claire pointed to Sarah’s signature.
“That isn’t hers either.”
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Mack had stopped one sale.
Now he knew the entire guardianship had been forged.
