Chapter 5 - The Knock of Judgement
I pressed the talk button,
ignoring Keaton’s frantic hand on my shoulder.
"Can I help you?"
I asked,
my voice sounding braver than I felt.
"We are looking for Keaton and Bernice Miller,"
one of the men said,
his voice professional and cold.
"We have a notice of seizure for the assets at this address."
"Seizure?"
I whispered,
the word taste like copper in my mouth.
"On what grounds?"
"A private lien has been placed against the equity of this property,"
he replied.
"The grace period for the bridge loan has expired."
I froze,
my mind racing through the legalities.
This apartment was in my name,
I had paid the down payment,
I had paid every single mortgage check.
How could there be a lien?
I opened the gate,
ignoring Keaton’s groan of despair,
and waited at the front door.
The two men arrived a minute later,
stepping into the foyer with a practiced lack of emotion.
They handed me a thick packet of papers,
the top sheet bearing a stamp from the county recorder's office.
I flipped through the pages,
my eyes scanning the signatures at the bottom.
There it was.
A forged power of attorney document,
bearing my name,
but the handwriting was clearly Bernice’s.
And there was Keaton’s signature as the witness.
They had used the apartment as collateral for a fifty-thousand-dollar loan.
A loan that had been taken out eight months ago.
"You did what?"
I turned to Keaton,
the papers trembling in my hand.
"You forged my name to take out a loan on my home?"
Keaton wouldn't look at me,
he just stared at the rug.
"Austin was in trouble,
Elena,"
he whispered,
his voice small and pathetic.
"He got involved with some bad investors,"
"He needed the money to clear his debt or they were going to hurt him."
Bernice stepped forward,
her eyes wet with tears.
"He’s your brother-in-law!"
she cried,
as if that justified the theft of my life’s work.
"We were going to pay it back,"
"Keaton was going to use his bonuses,"
"But then he lost the promotion to you."
The men in suits stepped further into the living room.
"We are here to inventory the furniture and electronics,"
one said.
"Unless the balance of sixty-two thousand dollars,
including interest,
is paid by midnight."
I looked at the apartment,
May you like
the home I had decorated with so much love,
and then I looked at the two leeches standing in the center of it.
