Chapter 7 - Wade Needed More Than Seventy Acres
The seventy acres were valuable.
The access corridor was more valuable.
Wade had signed a preliminary agreement with a development group
planning luxury cabins on adjoining land.
His company would receive a substantial fee if he delivered guaranteed
road access.
He did not own that access.
I did.
Or Garrett and I had.
Rachel found a draft easement bearing Garrett’s name.
The signature looked wrong.
A forensic document examiner would decide whether it was.
I would not.
But the notary stamp belonged to a man named Curtis Bell.
Curtis worked for Wade.
Suddenly the property transfer folder made sense.
If I signed the quitclaim, Wade could potentially eliminate disputes
over the road, timber, and old survey in one move.
Ten thousand dollars for seventy acres was insulting.
Ten thousand dollars for silence was worse.
Lorraine called me that night.
“Nora, what are you doing?”
“Reviewing the property records.”
“You’re humiliating Wade.”
“No. I’m checking documents.”
“He says you accused him of killing Garrett.”
“I did not.”
That stopped her.
I continued.
“If Wade told you that, ask yourself why.”
Lorraine went quiet.
Then she whispered:
“He said you were becoming paranoid.”
I almost laughed.
Three weeks earlier, I might have defended him.
May you like
Now I said:
“Come see the records yourself.”
