He stared at me.
—I’ll take you to a hospital —I continued—. And Ryan will never touch you again.
For the first time since he had arrived, he believed me.
At the hospital, a forensic nurse documented each injury.
A specialist examined my mother for almost two hours.
When he walked out into the hallway, his expression was serious.
—His mother doesn’t have dementia —he told me—. She is traumatized, malnourished and terrified, but is completely mentally competent.
My phone rang before I could answer.
He was my principal investigator.
—We have tracked the money —he said—. The lakeside cabin sold for $450,000. The money was transferred to a company controlled by Jessica. They also emptied two investment accounts.
—How much did they take?
—More than 840,000 dollars.
—Freeze everything.
Their bank accounts, shell companies, credit cards and property transfers were immediately blocked.
Then Ryan called.
—Where is? —shout.
—I needed a medical exam —I responded calmly.
The line was silent.
When he spoke again, his voice had changed.
—Bring her back immediately or I’ll tell the police you kidnapped an incompetent woman.
—My mother is not incompetent.
—We have documents that prove yes.
—Documents signed by a dead notary?
For several seconds, Ryan said nothing.
Then Jessica’s voice exploded in the background.
—Tell her what will happen if the old woman doesn’t cooperate!
I silently activated the recording system authorized by Judge Harrison’s order.
—What will happen, Ryan? —I asked for.
He laughed.
—We’ll send her to the basement. To the room with the steel door. Bring her back, get away, and maybe I’ll let her sleep in a real bed tonight.
I let him continue talking.
He threatened to lock her in the dark.
He admitted to forcing her to sign documents.
He even admitted that they had hidden his phone to prevent him from contacting me.
When it was over, I only said one thing:
—I’ll be there in twenty minutes.
Ryan and Jessica were waiting for me on the porch when I arrived.
My suitcases had been thrown at the entrance.
Ryan was holding another document in his hand.
—Sign this —ordered—. He says you recognize my legal guardianship and promise not to interfere again.
—What if I refuse?
—We will call the police.
I looked over his shoulder at the road.
Three black vans entered the property.
Hidden lights began flashing behind the front grills.
Ryan’s face paled.
