Chapter 6 - The Paperwork In The Vault
By 8:00 AM the following morning, the bright Texas sun illuminated the glass towers of the financial district in San Antonio.
Richard and Emily walked through the marble lobby of the First National Bank, flanked by two private security officers wearing dark suits.
The bank manager, a nervous man named Henderson, led them into the subterranean vault room lined with stainless steel safety deposit boxes.
"Mr. Vance, we received a formal freeze request from Senator Miller's office at 7:00 AM," Henderson stammered, pulling out his master key.
"I told them that without a signed judicial order from a federal judge, I cannot deny access to the primary account holder."
Richard stepped up to box 408, inserting his key alongside the manager's master key until the heavy steel mechanism clicked open.
Inside lay a thick, leather-bound portfolio containing original land grants dating back to the Texas Republic, along with five million dollars in bearer bonds.
Emily reached in, pulling out the portfolio and opening the brass clasp to inspect the contents.
Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled out a freshly printed document bearing a forged signature of her late mother.
"Dad... look at this," Emily said, her voice shaking as she handed the paper to Richard.
The document was a secondary mortgage agreement, encumbering the Vance Ranch in Kerrville for six million dollars to an entity called Apex Holdings.
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"He didn't just try to take the house in Austin," Richard muttered, his jaw clenching as he read the fraudulent notary seal.
"He placed a lien on your mother's ancestral land three days before he shoved you on that deck."
