Part 3

“Since February, your brother has been negotiating to sell that land to Brightwater Development. Their three-million-dollar deposit went into Preston’s own company.”

“How do you know that?”

“In March, Brightwater’s lawyer wrote to your grandfather: ‘Preston assures us you will sign the cancellation. Please confirm.’ He didn’t sign. He had his secretary of thirty years pull Preston’s emails off the company server.”

“‘Close before the trust paperwork becomes an obstacle.’ ‘Grandpa doesn’t read anything closely anymore. Bring it as a routine renewal; he’ll sign.’”

“Dad’s on this.”

“He replied once: ‘Do what you need to. Don’t tell me the details.’”

“‘Not mine to fix anymore. Give it to Ray.’”

“You’ve had this since March. Why didn’t you stop it?”

“While he was alive, it was his call. Now it’s your call. We’ve been holding this file for you.”

“Then stop it.”

“Sign here. As trustee, the bank puts a hold on the land, and we notify Brightwater this morning.”

[A breath.]

“Here’s what that means, Ray. A hold buys time. You signed it, so your signature can lift it. To make it stick, we lock down every record, get an independent review, and, if the proof is there, we ask a judge for an injunction.”

“And if it’s not there?”

“We prove it, or we don’t say it.”

“Brightwater just got a hold notice from Carrington, Grandpa’s bank, the morning after you got your two dollars. Where are you?”

“You know where I am.”

“Listen to me. Whatever Grandpa left you belongs to this family. Tell them to lift that hold, and come home.”