Julian stepped outside with his drink still in his hand, wearing the same robe and the same smug expression.<\/p>\n
Then he saw what had pulled in behind me.<\/p>\n
The first vehicle was Harrison Vance\u2019s black SUV.<\/p>\n
The second belonged to a locksmith.<\/p>\n
The third was a marked Austin Police Department cruiser.<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
Khloe came through the doorway behind him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my car door.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly what I told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian stared at the police cruiser.<\/p>\n
Then he laughed.<\/p>\n
But this time the sound came out thinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called the police because of a family disagreement?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I walked toward the driveway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI called my attorney because someone has been occupying my property, controlling my mother\u2019s money, withholding her personal documents, and apparently telling her she could become homeless if she spoke to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison stepped out of the SUV wearing a dark suit despite the Texas heat.<\/p>\n
He carried a leather folder under one arm.<\/p>\n
The officer exited his cruiser behind him.<\/p>\n
The locksmith stayed near his van.<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s eyes moved between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t just change the locks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison answered before I could.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is changing anything yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere. See?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison opened his folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re documenting first.\u201d<\/p>\n
That wiped the satisfaction from Julian\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
The officer approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owns the residence?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Harrison handed him a copy of the deed.<\/p>\n
The officer examined it.<\/p>\n
Julian immediately stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been living here for two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand,\u201d the officer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she can\u2019t remove us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer looked at Harrison.<\/p>\n
Harrison remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat depends on several facts Mr. Mercer seems determined to leave out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
Mr. Mercer.<\/p>\n
Hearing his full name spoken by a lawyer somehow changed the room before we had even entered it.<\/p>\n
Guests were beginning to appear behind Khloe.<\/p>\n
A woman in a red dress leaned toward another guest and whispered.<\/p>\n
Someone lowered the music.<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
Let them watch.<\/p>\n
For two years, my mother had been humiliated inside a house I had bought for her.<\/p>\n
Julian had been comfortable enough to invite an audience.<\/p>\n
Now he had one.<\/p>\n
Harrison looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Mercer, my client has no written lease with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have paid her no rent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily doesn\u2019t charge family rent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect. Which makes your claim that you are conventional leasehold tenants considerably weaker than you implied earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re playing games.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You were.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison removed another paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also told Ms. Carter that Texas law prevented her from entering her own property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I spoke immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me to get a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cIt\u2019s merely interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe crossed her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom invited us to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mother wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n
That was deliberate.<\/p>\n
I had refused to bring her back into the house until I knew exactly what we were dealing with.Harrison looked at Khloe.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe invited you into the guest suite temporarily. Correct?\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe hesitated.<\/p>\n
Julian answered for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said we could live here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndefinitely?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have that in writing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Harrison nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian took another drink.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still need to evict us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison\u2019s expression didn\u2019t change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a normal possession dispute, there can certainly be formal procedures. Which is why we are not standing here pretending those procedures do not exist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian smiled again.<\/p>\n
For three seconds.<\/p>\n
Then Harrison continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat complicates your position is the financial issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s glass stopped halfway to his mouth.<\/p>\n
Khloe looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat financial issue?\u201d<\/p>\n
I saw it.<\/p>\n
Tiny.<\/p>\n
Fast.<\/p>\n
But unmistakable.<\/p>\n
Julian looked at Khloe before answering.<\/p>\n
That single glance told me more than his words ever could.<\/p>\n
Harrison noticed it too.<\/p>\n
He took out another page.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Carter transferred three thousand dollars every month to an account intended for Martha Carter\u2019s living expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. We know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison\u2019s voice became colder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe card linked to that account appears to have been used for purchases at luxury retailers, a private golf club, several high-end restaurants, a resort in Scottsdale, and recurring payments on a vehicle registered to Julian Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe turned toward her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison handed the officer a packet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have preliminary statements.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t known about all of it.<\/p>\n
When Harrison called me earlier, he had told me there were irregularities.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t gone into detail.<\/p>\n
Now I understood why.<\/p>\n
Khloe grabbed Julian\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t start.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat vehicle, Julian?\u201d<\/p>\n
He lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
That was the first crack.<\/p>\n
Harrison continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, Martha Carter told Natalie that she was pressured into surrendering her cards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lie,\u201d Julian snapped.<\/p>\n
The officer looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, lower your voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave us the card.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khloe stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave me one card for groceries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian turned to her sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cKhloe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. What vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stepped away from him.<\/p>\n
And suddenly I knew.<\/p>\n
My sister was guilty of plenty.<\/p>\n
She had watched our mother scrub floors.<\/p>\n
She had taken the master bedroom.<\/p>\n
She had allowed Martha to be reduced to a servant in her own home.<\/p>\n
But whatever Harrison had found\u2026<\/p>\n
Khloe didn\u2019t know all of it.<\/p>\n
Julian did.<\/p>\n
I looked at Harrison.<\/p>\n
He saw the question in my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay we go inside?\u201d he asked the officer.<\/p>\n
The officer glanced at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian blocked the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer\u2019s expression sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can\u2019t just barge in.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I looked directly at Julian.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis house belongs to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes flicked toward the deed in Harrison\u2019s folder.<\/p>\n
For the first time since I arrived that afternoon, he looked uncertain.<\/p>\n
Not defeated.<\/p>\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n
But uncertain.<\/p>\n
He moved aside.<\/p>\n
We entered.<\/p>\n
The living room barely resembled the home I had furnished for my mother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Julian stepped outside with his drink still in his hand, wearing the same robe and the same smug expression. Then he saw what had pulled in behind me. The first … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n