Chapter 8: The Morning Richard Came Early
Sandra Okafor was due at ten.
Richard arrived at eight-fifteen.
He didn't knock.
He came through the side entrance with two men I didn't recognize and a woman carrying a legal folder.
He came down the stairs like he owned the building, which, technically, he was still arguing that he did.
The children were awake.
Mia saw him first and moved behind me without a word.
"Where is my nephew?" Richard said.
"Not here," I said.
"I'll wait."
"You're not welcome to."
He looked at me the way adults look at furniture that has spoken.
"You're the girl," he said.
"The one from the house."
"My name is Olivia Hart."
"Yes." He glanced around the basement.
"You've done an impressive job of playing house, Miss Hart.
But the adults are here now."
Daniel stepped up beside me.
"She's been taking care of us for a year," Daniel said.
"What have you done?"
Richard's eyes moved to Daniel with mild irritation.
"I've filed a petition with the Cook County family court," Richard said.
"Which means that as of this morning, any guardianship application Victor submits is subject to a conflict-of-interest review.
Which means these children will be in state care by noon."
"That petition was filed on false grounds," I said.
He looked at me again.
More carefully this time.
"Marcus Webb filed a response at midnight," I continued.
"Along with the original deed transfer documents that Elena Russo was given in 2012.
Witnessed, dated, and notarized." I kept my voice steady.
"Your argument that the transfer was improper has no foundation without a contested document.
And the document is no longer contestable."
The woman with the legal folder looked at Richard.
He didn't look back at her.
"You're thirteen years old," he said.
"I'm aware of that."
"Those documents were in this building."
"They were.
They're not anymore."
Something moved across his face.
Not quite anger.
Something colder than anger.
"Victor put you up to this."
"Victor told me what the documents meant.
I decided what to do with them."
Richard took one step toward me.
Daniel moved in front of me.
Lucas appeared from the side, standing next to Daniel.
They were fourteen and twelve years old and they stood there like a wall.
Richard stopped.
He looked at the two boys.
Then he looked at me behind them.
"This isn't finished," he said.
"Yes it is," said a voice from the top of the stairs.
Victor came down.
Marcus was behind him.
Behind Marcus was Sandra Okafor, who was forty minutes early and had apparently been listening from the doorway for longer than any of us knew.
Richard turned.
"Victor—"
"The petition was dismissed at seven-fifty this morning," Victor said.
"Judge Harlan reviewed Marcus's filing overnight.
Given the documentation and the timeline of your actions, she found sufficient cause to dismiss with prejudice." He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"You don't have standing here, Richard.
You never did."
Richard's jaw was tight.
"This is about the properties—"
"This is about six children who needed someone to show up for them." Victor's voice didn't rise.
"Elena showed up.
Olivia showed up.
You showed up to take something.
There's a difference."
"I'm family—"
"You filed a legal action designed to put children into state care to gain access to a building you wanted to search." Sandra Okafor's voice was quiet and precise.
"I have that on record, Mr.
Moretti.
I'll be including it in my report."
Richard looked at her.
Then he looked at the two men he had brought with him.
They were already moving toward the stairs.
He straightened his coat.
He looked at Victor one last time.
"Your father would be ashamed of what you're doing."
"My father," Victor said, "is the one who signed those documents.
He knew exactly what he was doing."
Richard went up the stairs.
The door closed.
The basement was very quiet.
Noah had come to stand at the edge of the room at some point during all of it.
He was holding his wooden block.
He looked up at Victor.
"Is the mean man gone?" Noah asked.
Victor crouched down.
"Yes," he said.
"He's gone."
Noah considered this seriously.
Then he held out the wooden block.
"You can have this," Noah said.
"So you're not sad."
Victor took the block.
He held it in both hands.
May you like
He didn't say anything for a moment.
"Thank you, Noah," he said.
