Chapter 3 - The Paperwork of Retribution
Marcus’s office was located in a sleek glass high-rise overlooking Lady Bird Lake. When I walked in, he already had five thick manila folders spread across his large mahogany desk. Two paralegals were busily cross-referencing documents on dual monitors. Marcus handed me a bottle of cold water, pulling out an executive chair for me.
""Let’s start with the living situation,"" Marcus said, tapping the first folder. ""The two-bedroom luxury condo on 4th Street downtown. Chloe and Eric have lived there for nearly three years.""
""Daniel inherited it outright from his grandmother Clara,"" I stated, reciting the facts from memory. ""There’s no mortgage on it.""
""Exactly,"" Marcus said, flipping open the deed. ""The property was deeded directly to Daniel. When Daniel passed six months ago, his will designated you as the sole executor and universal heir of all his real estate holdings and personal property. The probate wrapped up last month. That condo is registered 100% in your name, Natalie. Sole ownership.""
""Did Daniel ever execute a formal lease agreement with Chloe or Eric?"" I asked.
Marcus smirked, leaning back in his leather chair. ""I begged him to do so back in 2023, but you know Daniel—he had a heart too big for this world. He drew up a temporary tenancy-at-will agreement. It explicitly states that occupancy is granted purely on a month-to-month, non-compensatory basis, revocable by the legal owner at any time with twenty-four hours’ written notice if terms of care are breached, or thirty days without cause under Texas Property Code. However, because Eric attempted to list a room on Airbnb last winter without your knowledge, they committed an incurable breach of the occupancy covenant.""
I remembered that. Daniel had caught Eric trying to rent out the spare bedroom to tourists during the Austin City Limits music festival. Daniel had let it slide after Eric gave a tearful apology. Daniel had forgiven him. I would not.
""Next,"" I said coldly. ""My father’s truck.""
""The 2022 Ford F-250 King Ranch,"" Marcus read from the second file. ""Purchased three years ago. Your father’s credit score was in the gutter—sub-550 after his failed landscaping business. You co-signed, but more importantly, you provided the entire thirty-thousand-dollar down payment, and the vehicle title is registered under your name and Daniel’s trust. George is listed merely as an authorized secondary operator. You have made every single monthly payment of $840 out of your checking account for the past thirty-six months.""
""And the family credit cards?""
""You added your mother, Linda, as an authorized user on your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to cover her prescriptions and groceries. She currently has an active physical card in her purse in Miami right now,"" Marcus noted, his brow furrowing as he checked a live screen. ""In fact, she just charged $420 at a seafood restaurant on Ocean Drive twelve minutes ago.""
A bitter smile touched my lips. She was swiping my card to celebrate her seaside getaway while my son’s grave was still warm.
""Can you revoke the authorized user status immediately?"" I asked.
""One click on my phone and the card is dead as a doornail,"" Marcus replied. ""Her transaction history shows an open balance of over six thousand dollars from this month alone. As the primary account holder, you can also flag any unauthorized out-of-state charges.""
""Cancel it. Right now,"" I ordered. Marcus tapped his tablet, and within seconds, the authorization screen flashed red: Cardholder Privileges Revoked.
""Now,"" I continued, leaning over the desk, ""what about the condo contents? Chloe and Eric’s furniture, clothes, jewelry?""
Marcus adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with professional precision. ""Under Texas law, if an occupant abandons a residential property without paying consideration, and an eviction notice for contractual breach is posted, you can change the locks immediately if there is fear of property waste or unauthorized subletting. As for their belongings... Texas allows a landlord to place personal property in a bonded storage unit or, if they have defaulted on property maintenance fees, place a lien. But here’s the kicker, Natalie: that condo came fully furnished from Daniel’s grandmother. Ninety percent of the valuable furniture, the artwork, the high-end appliances—they belong to Daniel’s estate. Chloe and Eric own their clothes, their electronics, and whatever junk they brought in suitcases.""
""I want them out, Marcus,"" I said, my voice as hard as granite. ""I want the locks changed before nightfall. I want every stitch of clothing, every designer handbag Chloe bought with my husband's generosity, packed into industrial cardboard boxes and moved to a self-storage facility on the outskirts of San Antonio.""
Marcus paused, staring at me with deep admiration. ""And what about the condo itself?""
""Call a real estate wholesaler or a cash-buyer firm,"" I replied without hesitation. ""List it twenty percent below market value for an immediate, seventy-two-hour all-cash close. I don't want that apartment. I don't want their ghosts, their memories, or their stench. I want the cash wire-transferred directly into a private irrevocable trust under Ethan’s memorial foundation.""
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Marcus stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. ""Consider it done. I have a professional crew on standby for commercial evictions. We’ll be at the condo in forty-five minutes. And Natalie? What about the truck?""
""Have the repossession company pull up to George’s driveway by four o'clock,"" I said coldly. ""Let the neighbors watch them hook it to the tow truck.""
