Chapter 3 - The Friday Appointment
Friday arrived with a brittle, freezing sunlight that broke through the gray clouds, turning the melting snow into slush along the curb.
At 1:45 PM, a dark red SUV pulled up to Audrey's curb, followed closely by the stolen blue Mercedes-Benz driven by Ethan.
Inside Audrey's house, the atmosphere was dead silent.
Audrey sat at the dark dining table wearing a plain black sweater and her wedding ring. Hidden beneath her collar was a tiny, broadcast-quality lapel microphone linked directly to a mobile surveillance van parked two blocks away. The four wall cameras were operating silently, transmitting high-definition feeds to Arthur Vance’s team.
The front doorbell rang—three short, sharp rings that signaled ownership rather than a request for entry.
Audrey stood up slowly, walked to the foyer, and opened the door.
Her entire family stood on the porch.
Richard Vance came first, dressed in his worn leather overcoat, his face heavy, flushed, and arrogant. Behind him stood Teresa, clutching a designer leather handbag that Audrey had bought her two Christmases ago. Ethan walked behind them, tossing the Mercedes key fob nonchalantly in his hand, accompanied by his wife Karla and sister Claudia.
"You took your time opening the door," Richard said curtly, pushing past Audrey into the hallway without taking off his mud-caked boots. "Let's get this over with. It's cold out."
Teresa stepped inside, her eyes immediately scanning the artwork and furniture in the foyer, estimating their value. "Look at this place," she muttered to Claudia. "She lives in luxury while your brother has to pay rent on a cramped house."
Audrey said nothing. She stepped back into the living room, allowing them to crowd into the space.
Richard sat down in David’s favorite leather armchair, unbuttoning his coat. Ethan slumped onto the sofa beside Karla, placing the Mercedes key fob right on the polished glass coffee table as if marking his territory.
"Where are the documents?" Richard demanded, leaning forward and resting his thick forearms on his knees. "The original house deed, David's investment account numbers, and the life insurance policy statements."
Audrey remained standing near the fireplace, her posture perfectly erect, her face an unreadable mask.
"I asked you a question on Tuesday, Dad," Audrey said softly. "Why do you think you are entitled to anything David worked for?"
Teresa sneered, stepping forward and tossing her purse onto the dining chair. "Don't start that again, Audrey. David is dead. His money came from projects he ran while he was married to you. As your family, we are here to ensure that money stays where it belongs—supporting the people who raised you, not sitting in some bank account for David's snobbish relatives."
"David was my husband," Audrey said, her voice dropping lower, clear and ringing in the quiet room. "He built his life with me. You spent eight years treating him like an enemy because he wouldn't let you drain my bank accounts."
Ethan laughed aloud, leaning back against the cushions. "David was a controlling idiot who thought he was better than us. Look where it got him. He's six feet under, and I'm driving his car. Now hand over the papers, Audrey, or Dad's going to lose his temper again, and nobody here is going to help you."
Karla pulled out her smartphone, opening the camera app with a smirk. "Just sign the forms, Audrey. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Richard pulled a thick manila folder from his coat pocket and slammed it down on the coffee table beside the car keys.
"This is a quitclaim deed transferring the property rights of this house to Vance Family Holdings," Richard said coldly. "And this is a full power of attorney granting me access to settle David’s outstanding liquid accounts. You sign both right now. We’ve brought a notary—Karla’s cousin—who will stamp them outside."
Audrey looked down at the documents on the glass table. She did not reach for them.
"And if I refuse?" Audrey asked quietly.
Richard stood up, his massive frame looming over her, his jaw set in a hard, violent line. "If you refuse, I will make sure every creditor in this county comes after you. I will personally inform David's firm that you were mismanaging his private assets before he died. You will leave this house with nothing but the clothes on your back."
Teresa stepped beside her husband, her face twisted in contempt. "You caused all of this, Audrey. If you had just obeyed your father five years ago, Ethan’s business wouldn't have failed, and we wouldn't be standing here forced to take what is ours. You brought this ruin on yourself."
Audrey looked at her mother, then at her father, then at her brother, who was smiling arrogantly from the sofa.
"I caused all of this?" Audrey repeated softly.
"Yes," Teresa snapped. "You caused it with your selfishness!"
Audrey slowly reached into her cardigan pocket, pulled out her phone, and tapped the screen once.
"Arthur," Audrey said into the quiet room. "They have presented the forged quitclaim deed, and my mother has confirmed their intent."
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Richard froze. "Who the hell are you talking to?"
Before Ethan could stand up from the sofa, the heavy oak front door was smashed open with a deafening crash that echoed through the house like a gunshot.
