She did not look surprised by the papers on the table.
“Eleanor,” she said.
“Miriam.”
Miriam touched her shoulder, then turned to Michael and Olivia.
“I assume the recording has been preserved.”
“Yes.”
“Good. The investigator has a copy of the financial records. The county has also received the broker’s emails.”
Olivia’s chin lifted.
“You can’t prove I forged anything.”
Miriam opened the folder.
“We don’t need to prove it tonight. The forensic examiner already compared the signature with Eleanor’s authenticated documents. The power of attorney was created on a laptop registered to your company. Its metadata shows it was altered two days after Eleanor’s hospital admission.”
Olivia stared at the page.
Miriam continued.
“The bank has frozen the remaining balance in Bright Path’s account. The broker has withdrawn from the sale. The guardianship petition will be dismissed, and the county prosecutor has accepted the referral.”
Michael gripped the edge of the table.
“What happens now?”
“That depends on whether Olivia cooperates.”
Olivia looked at him.
“You’re going to let them destroy me?”
Michael’s face was wet now, though he seemed unaware of it.
“You destroyed this.”
“I did it for us.”
“You did it to my mother.”
“You think she loves you more than she loves us? She has always treated me like I was temporary.”
Eleanor felt the words settle into the old wound Olivia had been pressing for years.
“You were temporary,” Eleanor said. “Not because I wanted you gone. Because you kept saying you were leaving.”
Olivia laughed bitterly.
“You never made space for me.”
“I gave you the guest room.”
“I mean real space.”
