Chapter 15 - Grandma Goes to CourtThe temporary guardianship hearing was held six weeks after the pool incident.
Evelyn arrived in a navy suit.
No cream resort clothes.
No grandmotherly softness.
She looked serious, wounded and composed.
Daniel sat beside Rebecca.
Mia remained with Grace.
The hearing was closed to the public.
Evelyn’s attorney began by describing Daniel’s grief.
His workload.
His sleep.
His admission that he had failed to respond when Cooper woke him.
Then Rebecca stood.
She did not defend Daniel by pretending he was perfect.
That surprised Evelyn.
“Mr. Brooks made an error,” Rebecca said. “He has never denied it.”
Daniel looked at the judge.
“I should have gotten out of bed.”
Rebecca continued.
“But this proceeding cannot ignore why his daughter was in danger in the first place.”
She introduced the vest analysis.
Three intentional punctures.
The video showing Evelyn fastening the vest, checking left and right and making an unexplained movement.
The purchase of two identical vests.
The missing pool camera.
Leonard Shaw’s involvement in disposing of that camera.
Evelyn’s face remained still.
Then came Mia’s forensic interview.
Rebecca did not exaggerate it.
She simply presented the trained interviewer’s report.
Grandma touched yellow thing.
Grandma said look at water.
Grandma said go have fun.
The judge looked at Evelyn’s attorney.
“Is your client currently the subject of a criminal investigation?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Then explain why this court should place the child with her.”
The attorney argued that no charges had yet been filed.
Rebecca responded with the financial motive.
The trust.
The company vote.
The foundation audit.
Then she introduced Alyssa’s letter.
Evelyn finally reacted.
Her head turned sharply toward Daniel.
He met her eyes.
For the first time, she knew he had found it.
The judge denied Evelyn’s emergency petition.
More than that, pending the investigation, Evelyn was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with Mia.
Daniel did not feel victorious.
He felt exhausted.
Outside the courthouse, Evelyn approached him.
Her attorney tried to stop her.
She ignored him.
“You think you won?”
Daniel said nothing.
“You stole Alyssa from me.”
“No.”
“You poisoned her against her own mother.”
“Alyssa wrote that letter.”
“Because you filled her head.”
Daniel stared at her.
“She knew about the money.”
Evelyn’s face tightened.
“She knew nothing about survival.”
“She knew you were willing to use Mia.”
“Careful.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“No. You be careful.”
Evelyn’s eyes moved toward Rebecca.
Then back to Daniel.
“You have no idea what your wife kept from you.”
Daniel remembered her earlier words.
“What are you talking about?”
For the first time, Evelyn smiled.
Not sweetly.
Not kindly.
Triumphantly.
“Ask Rebecca why Alyssa changed her will three times.”
Daniel turned.
Rebecca’s face had gone pale.
Evelyn walked away.
Daniel stared at his attorney.
“What didn’t you tell me?”
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Rebecca looked at him for a long moment.
Then she said, “There was another document.”
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