Chapter 10 - THE JUDGE WHO REFUSED TO LOOK AWAY|
Monday morning arrived beneath a sky the color of dirty snow.
I hadn't slept.
Neither had Luca.
After the threatening messages, Detective Brooks had arranged additional protection for Frank.
The townhouse was no longer considered secure.
Dante had moved him to another protected location with the police informed.
By dawn, Frank was safe.
But the people responsible knew the guardianship hearing was about to begin.
And they knew it might be their last opportunity to make their lies look legal.
The hearing took place in the Cook County courthouse.
I had never entered a courtroom before.
The polished floors, high ceilings, and solemn atmosphere made everything feel larger than life.
But when I saw Frank standing beside Luca in his navy-blue suit, I realized how small and frightened a person could feel inside such an imposing building.
Frank adjusted his tie.
"Claire?"
"Yes, Mr. Frank?"
"Do I look all right?"
I smiled.
"You look very handsome."
He gave a nervous laugh.
"That's what Elena always told me."
"She was right."
Luca approached.
"Dad, you don't have to be afraid."
Frank looked at him.
"I'm not afraid of the judge."
"Then what?"
Frank lowered his voice.
"I'm afraid somebody will decide I'm not worth listening to."
Luca's expression softened.
He placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Not today."
Inside the courtroom, Matteo sat beside his attorney.
Vivienne was there too.
She wore a cream-colored designer suit and a diamond bracelet.
Her blonde hair was perfectly arranged.
She looked as though she were attending a charity luncheon rather than a proceeding that could strip an elderly man of his freedom to make his own decisions.
When she saw me, her expression hardened.
I didn't look away.
A judge named Grace Holloway entered.
Everyone rose.
The hearing began.
Matteo's attorney argued that Frank suffered from declining judgment.
He described the restaurant fire.
The alleged missed appointments.
The supposed medical concerns.
And the sworn statements submitted by household employees.
I sat beside Maya, feeling my heart pound with every lie.
Then Frank's attorney, a colleague from Maya's firm, stood.
She explained that Frank opposed the petition.
She presented the independent medical assessment.
She challenged the authenticity of the supporting documents.
And she asked that Frank be permitted to speak for himself.
Judge Holloway looked toward him.
"Mr. Moretti, would you like to address the court?"
Frank stood slowly.
His hands trembled.
He looked toward Luca.
Then toward me.
Finally, he faced the judge.
"Your Honor, I'm seventy-eight years old."
His voice was quiet, but clear.
"I know I'm not as strong as I used to be."
He paused.
"Sometimes my hands shake when I'm nervous."
Vivienne glanced at Matteo.
Frank continued.
"Sometimes I forget where I leave my keys."
A few people smiled gently.
"But I know where my home is."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I know who my sons are."
He looked toward Matteo.
"And I know when somebody is lying to me."
Matteo lowered his eyes.
Frank took a breath.
"I worked sixteen hours a day to raise my boys after my wife died."
He paused to steady himself.
"I didn't do that because I wanted them to owe me something."
He swallowed.
"I did it because I loved them."
The courtroom was completely silent.
"Now one of my sons wants me sent away because I won't sell the place where their mother and I were happy."
He looked directly at the judge.
"I'm old, Your Honor."
His voice cracked.
"But I'm not a piece of furniture they can move somewhere when company comes."
I covered my mouth.
Beside me, Maya lowered her head for a moment.
Frank continued.
"I don't want anybody making my decisions because they think my life has become inconvenient."
Then he said the words I would never forget.
"I still belong to myself."
Judge Holloway regarded him carefully.
She asked several questions.
Frank answered them thoughtfully.
He explained his understanding of the property dispute and the proposed guardianship.
He described how Vivienne and Matteo had pressured him.
He identified the documents he had signed and those he disputed.
Then the attorneys addressed the evidence.
The independent assessment did not support the sweeping claims of incapacity presented in the petition.
Questions had also emerged about the authenticity of multiple signatures.
The court heard that police were investigating the restaurant fire and related financial transactions.
Corinne's records had been preserved for examination.
No one claimed those investigations were complete.
But they raised serious concerns about the petition's foundation.
After reviewing the evidence before her, Judge Holloway announced that she would not grant the requested emergency guardianship.
Further proceedings would be required to address any legitimate concerns.
She directed that the disputed documents be preserved and referred the suspected misconduct to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
Separate proceedings were already being pursued to prevent questionable property transfers while the ownership dispute was examined.
Frank closed his eyes.
Luca squeezed his shoulder.
I felt tears spill down my face.
For the first time since Thanksgiving, the old man wasn't begging someone to let him stay.
A judge had listened to him.
Outside the courtroom, reporters gathered near the entrance.
Matteo hurried toward the elevators.
Vivienne followed.
Luca didn't chase them.
He stayed beside his father.
"Ready to go home, Dad?"
Frank smiled through his tears.
"Yes, son."
Then Maya approached us.
Her expression was serious.
"There's something we need to discuss."
Luca turned.
"What happened?"
"I reviewed the original loan documents from eight years ago."
"Matteo's debt?"
She nodded.
"Some of the recent signatures appear questionable."
"That much we know."
"But not all of them."
She handed him a copy of an old agreement.
"Your father genuinely signed this one."
Luca frowned.
"What does it mean?"
Maya looked toward Frank.
"The agreement includes a guarantee secured against the restaurant property."
Frank went pale.
"I thought that was finished."
Maya spoke gently.
"It may have been."
She tapped the document.
"But Lakefront Capital is claiming it was never fully repaid."
Luca looked at his father.
"Dad, how much money did you owe?"
Frank's eyes filled with tears.
May you like
"Enough to ruin everything."
And for the first time since the nightmare began, I realized Matteo's betrayal had started long before Vivienne entered the family.
