Chapter 15 - The Grand Jury Indictment
Three weeks later, the Harris County Grand Jury returned a crushing, multi-count criminal indictment against both Evelyn and David Vance.
The indictment listed forty-two distinct felony counts, including racketeering, grand theft, identity forgery, tax evasion, and burglary.
The local Houston news channels picked up the story, featuring high-resolution photos of Evelyn's arrest on their evening broadcasts.
The headline read: LOCAL SOCIALITE AND ACCOUNTANT SON INDICTED IN MASSIVE PROPERTY AND INHERITANCE FRAUD SCHEME.
In addition to the state charges, the Internal Revenue Service filed federal tax liens exceeding two point four million dollars against their assets.
I sat in my sunlit living room with Chloe, eating fresh strawberries while watching the news report air on our large flat-screen television.
Chloe looked up at me, holding her drawing pad in her lap.
"Mom... are they ever coming back here?" Chloe asked softly.
I pulled my daughter into a warm, protective embrace, kissing the top of her head.
"No, baby," I promised her with absolute certainty.
"They are going away for a very, very long time... and this house is ours forever."
The blue binder now sat safely inside an off-site, bank-vault safety deposit box accessible only by my fingerprint and password.
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The fake quitclaim deed had been formally voided by the district court, restoring my exclusive, unassailable title to the property.
My father's legacy was finally secure.
