Chapter 7 - The Eviction Of Lies
By midnight, the blue lights were gone, replaced by the yellow glow of the streetlamps.
David and Eleanor were booked into the county detention center under felony charges of wire fraud, filing false police reports, and grand larceny. Kevin, who hadn't taken part in the legal paperwork, was given two hours by Sheriff Walker to pack his personal belongings and vacate the premises.
He came down the porch with two black garbage bags full of clothes, looking at the ground.
“I didn't know, Sarah,” he mumbled, his voice shaking. “They told me you hated us. They told me you threw your life away.”
“You never called,” I said simply. “You never checked the military locator. It takes thirty seconds on Google.”
He swallowed hard, nodded, and walked down the street into the dark.
Mr. Holloway helped me carry my duffel bag into the front hallway. The house smelled different—heavy with cheap potpourri and neglected dust. In the dining room, on top of the cherry-wood sideboard my grandmother had polished every Sunday, sat an envelope addressed to the county clerk.
I opened it. Inside were forged letters bearing fake prison stamps, dated two months prior, asking for the deed transfer to be finalized due to ‘the inmate's continued incarceration.’
May you like
Mr. Holloway looked over my shoulder and sighed. “They were desperate, Sarah. The bank was threatening foreclosure on their other debts. They thought if you died overseas, or if they kept you away long enough, nobody would ever ask questions.”
“The truth always shows up, Mr. Holloway,” I said, laying my service cap on the table. “It just takes the bus sometimes.”
