Chapter 4 - The Injunction
At 1:45 PM, fifteen minutes before Ryan was scheduled to return to the hospital to claim his obedient wife, the door opened. But it wasn't Ryan.
Two uniformed Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies stepped into the room, followed by Daniel Whitmore holding a leather briefcase.
“Clara,” Daniel said, stepping over to the bed with a calm, professional nod. “The court order has been signed.”
I sat up, resting against the pillows. “Which ones?”
“All of them,” Daniel said, opening his briefcase and pulling out a thick sheaf of blue-stamped legal documents. “Judge Alvarez reviewed the footage at ten this morning. She was so appalled by the video that she granted an immediate emergency ex parte restraining order against Ryan, Charles, and Margaret Bennett. None of them are permitted within one thousand feet of you, your properties, or Bennett Freight premises.”
“And the corporate receivership?”
“Granted,” Daniel replied, handing me a copy of the ruling. “The judge froze all corporate operating accounts pending a full forensic review. Furthermore, based on the video evidence of felony assault, witness tampering, and destruction of evidence, the District Attorney’s office has issued arrest warrants for Charles Bennett for second-degree assault, Margaret Bennett for accomplice to assault under duress, and Ryan Bennett for felony domestic battery, tampering with evidence, and corporate extortion.”
I let out a long breath. “Where are they now?”
Daniel looked at his watch. “Ryan should be pulling into the hospital parking garage right about now, expecting to collect you. The deputies downstairs are waiting for his vehicle.”
Right on cue, a muffled commotion echoed from the corridor outside. Voices were raised, followed by the heavy, rhythmic thud of quick footsteps.
Through the square glass window of my hospital room door, I saw Ryan marching down the hall, flanked by two hospital security guards who were attempting to stop him. Ryan’s face was red, his tie pulled loose, holding an envelope in his hand.
“Get your hands off me!” Ryan roared at the guards, shoving his way toward my room. “That’s my wife in there! I have full medical power of attorney! Clara! Clara, what the hell is going on?!”
He burst through the door, his eyes wild with fury—until he caught sight of the two armed Sheriff’s deputies standing beside my bed.
Ryan froze. His eyes darted from the uniforms to Daniel Whitmore, and finally to me.
“Clara?” Ryan stammered, his voice dropping an octave as panic began to breach his arrogance. “What is this? Who are these people?”
Daniel stepped forward, pulling a white document from his coat. “Ryan Bennett. I am Daniel Whitmore, legal counsel representing Clara Hart-Bennett. You are officially served with an emergency protection order and a summons for corporate receivership regarding Bennett Freight Incorporated.”
“This is a joke,” Ryan laughed nervously, stepping toward my bed. “Clara, tell these cops to leave. What did you do? Did you call some cheap lawyer? I told you—”
“Step back, Mr. Bennett,” one of the deputies commanded, his hand resting calmly on his sidearm. “Do not approach the protected party.”
“She’s my wife!” Ryan yelled, his face contorting into an ugly mask of rage. “She fell down the stairs! She’s confused! She’s off her medication!”
“There was no fall, Ryan,” I said clearly, my voice ringing across the quiet hospital room.
Ryan glared at me. “You have no proof of anything, you crazy bitch! It’s your word against mine, my father’s, and my mother’s! No judge is going to believe—”
“Mr. Bennett,” Deputy Miller interrupted, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt. “Turn around and place your hands behind your back.”
“For what?!” Ryan screamed, backing away toward the wall. “On what grounds?!”
Daniel picked up his digital tablet from the bedside table, clicked a button, and turned the screen toward Ryan.
The crisp audio of the foyer camera echoed through the hospital room:
“My leg is broken,” my recorded voice pleaded from the speaker.
“Then maybe you should stop being so stubborn,” Ryan’s recorded voice replied, followed immediately by the loud, metallic crunch of his dress shoe crushing my mobile phone while I lay bleeding on the marble floor.
Ryan’s face drained of every ounce of color. The blood rushed out of his skin so fast he looked like a corpse standing in a polished suit. His jaw fell open, his eyes wide as saucers as he watched the footage of his father kicking my leg while his mother held the cane.
“You... you had a camera?” Ryan whispered, his voice cracking into a pathetic, squeaking gasp. “In the smoke detector?”
“I told you six months ago that I upgraded the security system, Ryan,” I said softly, looking at him with absolute indifference. “You called me paranoid. You should have paid closer attention to the inventory receipts.”
“Clara, wait!” Ryan pleaded as the deputy grabbed his wrist and snapped the steel cuff over his joint. “Clara, please! It was my dad! He forced me! He said we had to save the family business! I didn't want to hurt you, baby! Clara!”
“Take him away, Deputy,” Daniel said flatly.
May you like
As the officers dragged Ryan out into the hall in handcuffs—his frantic, pathetic screams echoing off the clean white tiles—I leaned back against my pillows and looked at the blue sky through the window.
The opening move was complete. Now, it was time to take their money.
