Chapter 4 - The Forged Permission
By noon the next day, Nathan had been charged with unlawful confinement of a minor, felony child endangerment and assault related to George.
The prosecutor warned them not to celebrate.
“Charges evolve,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dana Whitaker said. “Evidence evolves.”
They were gathered inside a private hospital conference room.
George sat beside Laura.
Hailey was with a victim advocate.
Detective Torres stood near the door.
Rebecca had two laptops open.
Whitaker continued.
“The trunk confinement is strong evidence. We also have the travel bag, cash and paperwork.”
“Then keep him locked up,” George said.
Whitaker gave him a level look.
“I don’t decide bail.”
Nathan’s bond hearing was scheduled for that afternoon.
George hated the thought of Nathan walking out.
Torres placed a clear evidence sleeve on the table.
Inside was the document taken from the SUV.
Temporary Delegation of Parental Authority.
Laura stared at the signature.
“That looks like mine.”
“Is it?”
“No.”
Torres pointed to the notary block.
“Dated Monday at eleven twenty-six in the morning.”
Laura almost laughed.
“I was having a CT scan.”
“We confirmed that.”
George read the document more closely.
It allowed Nathan to travel with Hailey for up to sixty days.
It also claimed Laura had requested “temporary separation from extended family due to safety concerns.”
George’s name appeared twice.
“He was trying to make me the threat.”
Rebecca nodded.
“If he got far enough away before anyone reacted, he could argue there was a family dispute rather than an abduction.”
Whitaker added, “It wouldn’t necessarily protect him criminally, but it could delay intervention.”
George looked at Torres.
“And Asheville?”
“We contacted the rental owner.”
Torres opened her notebook.
“Nathan rented the property for three weeks using a business entity called Newford Consulting.”
Laura sat upright.
“That company was in the vendor records.”
Everyone looked at her.
“The blue folder.”
Rebecca turned quickly.
“You saw Newford?”
“Yes. Mercer Development paid them.”
“How much?”
“I don’t remember.”
Rebecca typed.
“Give me a minute.”
Torres said, “The Asheville property is isolated. It’s about forty minutes from downtown.”
George felt sick.
“What was he going to do with Hailey there?”
Nobody answered.
Laura whispered, “Wait until I signed.”
George looked at her.
Torres nodded reluctantly.
“That possibility fits what Hailey overheard.”
Rebecca turned her screen.
“I found Newford.”
The company had been paid $684,000 by Mercer Development over fourteen months.
“For what services?” George asked.
“That’s the problem.”
Rebecca scrolled.
“Strategic site analysis.”
“We do that in-house.”
“I know.”
Laura leaned toward the screen.
“Who owns it?”
“I can’t see the beneficial owner in these public records.”
Torres said, “We can subpoena banking records.”
George looked at Rebecca.
“What about Blackridge?”
“We’re seeking an emergency injunction.”
“Today?”
“I’ve already filed.”
George stared at her.
“What happens if the judge refuses?”
“The lender could issue a default notice and begin enforcement.”
Laura pressed her fingertips to her forehead.
“This is insane.”
Rebecca’s phone buzzed.
She looked at the message.
Then looked at George.
“Nathan’s attorney just filed something.”
“What?”
“An emergency motion claiming Laura is incompetent to manage her financial affairs due to her head injury.”
Laura’s face changed.
“He can’t do that.”
“He can request an evaluation. That doesn’t mean he’ll win.”
“What does he want?”
Rebecca read.
“Recognition of the voting proxy.”
George stood so quickly his chair scraped backward.
“He pushes her down the stairs, waits until she’s concussed, then says the concussion gives him control?”
Whitaker raised a hand.
“Mr. Mercer.”
“No.”
George pointed at the screen.
“This was planned.”
Torres spoke calmly.
“That is what we need to prove.”
Rebecca enlarged the proxy.
Laura’s signature appeared genuine.
Unlike the delegation found in the SUV, this document had been notarized six weeks earlier.
Laura stared.
“I may have signed that.”
George turned.
“You said you thought they were refinancing papers.”
“I did.”
Rebecca examined the notary name.
“Melissa Crane.”
Laura frowned.
“Who is that?”
“An employee at Mercer Development.”
George knew the name.
“Executive administration.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Nathan’s assistant.”
George sank back into his chair.
Whitaker looked at Torres.
“If Crane knowingly notarized something without proper acknowledgment, we need her.”
Torres was already typing a message.
The door opened.
A hospital social worker appeared.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Yes?”
“Hailey is asking for her mother.”
Laura’s face crumpled.
Five minutes later Hailey entered.
She ran to Laura’s bed.
“Mommy!”
Laura carefully wrapped one arm around her.
“My baby.”
Hailey cried into her shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”
Laura pulled back.
“For what?”
“I couldn’t stop him.”
“You didn’t have to stop him.”
“He said you’d go to jail if I screamed.”
Laura closed her eyes.
“He lied.”
“I know now.”
George turned away to give them privacy.
Hailey suddenly looked toward Rebecca’s laptop.
“What’s that?”
“The papers Nathan wanted your mother to sign.”
Hailey stared at the image of the voting proxy.
Then pointed.
“I saw that symbol.”
Rebecca followed her finger.
It was the logo for Blackridge Capital.
“Where?”
“On Nathan’s phone.”
“When?”
“The night Mommy fell.”
Laura stiffened.
Hailey continued.
“He was talking to somebody before they yelled.”
“What did he say?”
Hailey’s brow furrowed.
“He said…”
Everyone became silent.
“He said Grandpa would never sell.”
George felt a chill.
Hailey looked at him.
“And the man on the phone said, ‘Then make sure he doesn’t get a choice.’”
Torres stepped closer.
“Hailey, did you hear a name?”
She thought.
“No.”
“Anything else?”
Hailey closed her eyes as if replaying it.
Then she opened them.
“He called Nathan Nate.”
George looked at Rebecca.
Few people called Nathan that.
Rebecca’s phone rang.
Detective Torres answered hers at nearly the same time.
Both women listened.
Rebecca’s expression became rigid.
Torres’s became worse.
George looked between them.
“What?”
Torres ended the call first.
“Police executed a search warrant at Nathan’s office.”
“And?”
“They didn’t find the blue folder.”
George cursed under his breath.
Rebecca slowly lowered her phone.
“I may know why.”
Everyone looked at her.
“The office security system shows someone entered the executive floor at 2:14 this morning.”
“Nathan was in custody.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Caleb Sloan.”
Laura frowned.
Nathan’s closest friend.
A corporate attorney who had advised Mercer Development for almost six years.
George felt another layer of the floor disappear beneath him.
May you like
Rebecca continued.
“And Caleb left carrying a blue file box.”
