I didn’t flinch. I sat calmly at the table, my hands resting over the folder.
“I didn’t call the local police, Julian,” I said, my voice steady and cold as steel. “I called the Attorney General’s Special Investigations Unit. Judge Thorne signed the emergency removal order and a search warrant at six o’clock this morning.”
The front door opened. Detective Marcus Vance stepped into the hallway, followed by two uniformed state troopers, a forensic accountant, and two social workers from Adult Protective Services.
“Julian Vance? Chloe Vance?” Detective Vance asked, holding up a badge and a thick stapled warrant.
“This is an outrage!” Chloe shrieked, rushing forward with her hands on her hips. “This is a private family matter! My father-in-law has dementia! His daughter is harassing us because she wants his money!”
Detective Vance didn’t even look at her. He turned to the two social workers. “Secure the victim upstairs in the bedroom. Make sure he is comfortable.”
“You can’t go up there!” Julian yelled, stepping into the hallway to block the stairs. “That’s my house! I have power of attorney!”
“You had a forged power of attorney,” I said, standing up from the table and walking into the entryway.
I looked Detective Vance in the eye. “The notary stamp on page three belongs to Sarah Jenkins, who passed away in September 2024. The physician’s license number on the mental incompetency declaration belongs to a retired dermatologist in Florida. They forged the documents, Detective.”
