Chapter 10 - Madison's True Face
By evening, two police officers had taken Madison's recorded statement from my phone and filed an expedited emergency protection order against Richard. An unmarked cruiser was assigned to patrol our street every two hours.
Despite the security, a suffocating tension settled over our home. Every creak of the floorboards, every gust of autumn wind rattling the windowpanes made me flinch.
At 8:00 PM, Marcus Vance arrived at our home accompanied by a private security consultant Ethan had hired.
"The prosecutor signed off on the grand jury indictment this afternoon," Marcus announced, setting his briefcase on the dining table. "Richard is facing four counts of grand larceny, one count of forgery, and one count of identity fraud. An arrest warrant has officially been issued."
"Have they picked him up?" Ethan asked, pouring coffee for Marcus.
"Not yet," Marcus sighed, rubbing his temples. "When the deputies arrived at their residence at four o'clock, the house was dark. Helen was there alone, hysterically packing clothes into garbage bags. Richard had cleared out his personal gun safe and taken his old hunting truck. His cell phone has been turned off."
The mug in my hand trembled. "He has guns?"
"Hunting rifles, yes," Marcus said gently, trying not to alarm me. "The police have flagged his plates. With an active APB out, he won't get far. But the security team outside will stay posted at your front and rear exits around the clock until he is in custody."
We spent the next two hours going over the final paperwork for Maya’s trust. Evelyn had designed the trust with ironclad protections: all real estate holdings in Chicago were locked into an LLC managed by an independent corporate board. At eighteen, Maya would receive educational disbursements; at twenty-five, she would assume full control of the capital.
Richard, Helen, and Madison were permanently barred from ever serving as beneficiaries, custodians, or legal representatives under any circumstances.
"Your grandmother was a brilliant woman," Marcus said softly, looking at Maya asleep in my arms. "She saw this coming years ago. When Richard tried to pressure her into signing over her estate while she was in hospice, she looked him in the eye and told him, 'You have spent your whole life devouring what others built. You won't feast on what I leave for Olivia’s blood.'"
Tears finally rolled down my cheeks—not of pain, but of profound gratitude. In the end, Grandma Evelyn had protected us from beyond the grave.
"Thank you, Marcus," I whispered.
Marcus nodded, gathered his files, and stood up. "Get some sleep, both of you. The police will find him tonight. It will all be over soon."
May you like
Ethan locked the heavy deadbolts behind Marcus and activated the home alarm system. We went upstairs, placing Maya in the crib situated right beside our master bed. Exhaustion, heavy and bone-deep, pulled me under the moment my head touched the pillow.
***
