Chapter 9: The Hearing
The courtroom was smaller than I expected.
I had imagined something formal and large.
It was just a room with fluorescent lights and a judge who looked like she had heard everything twice before.
Evelyn sat on the other side with her attorney — a man named Holt who wore a suit that cost more than my first car.
Daniel was beside her.
He had not looked at me since we walked in.
Claire was next to me.
Gerald was in the gallery.
Mrs.
Alderton was there too, in her good coat, holding her handbag on her lap with both hands.
The judge — her name was Honorable Patricia Shen — reviewed the filings for four minutes without speaking.
The room was very quiet.
"I've read both submissions," she said finally.
"I have some questions before we proceed." She looked at Evelyn's attorney.
"Mr.
Holt.
Your client's custody motion cites an incident at a family dinner.
The motion describes the respondent as volatile and aggressive.
Is that correct?"
"That's correct, Your Honor."
"Your filing does not mention what preceded the respondent's behavior.
Can you explain that omission?"
Holt adjusted his jacket.
"The motion focuses on the respondent's actions, Your Honor, which were witnessed by multiple—"
"Mr.
Holt." The judge's voice did not rise.
"I have a declaration from an eyewitness — Gerald Calloway — describing a four-year-old child being placed on the floor and held by the hair by your client.
I also have a text message sent from a number registered to your client to the respondent, offering to withdraw the custody motion in exchange for dropping a separate legal claim." She set the papers down.
"That text was sent at ten forty-seven p.m.
two nights ago.
Would you like to address that?"
Holt glanced at Evelyn.
Evelyn's face did not move.
"Your Honor," Holt said, "my client was attempting to open a dialogue—"
"She was attempting to leverage a custody claim over a four-year-old child to win a property dispute." Judge Shen looked at him steadily.
"That is not a dialogue.
That is coercion."
The room was very still.
"The custody motion," the judge said, "is dismissed.
With prejudice."
I heard Mrs.
Alderton exhale behind me.
"As for the deed challenge." Judge Shen turned to a new section of the file.
"The respondent's corrected immigration filing was accepted by the relevant authority and her status was never formally revoked.
The deed closed during a technical gap that was subsequently corrected within the same calendar month.
The respondent was, at the time of the closing, in a hospital having given birth." She paused.
"Mr.
Calloway was informed of the filing letter.
He did not contact respondent's attorney.
The call logs have been entered into evidence." She looked at Daniel for the first time.
"Do you dispute the call logs?"
Daniel's attorney leaned over and said something in his ear.
"No, Your Honor," Daniel said.
"The deed challenge is denied." She closed the folder.
"The property remains in the respondent's name.
The lien filed against the property without the owner's knowledge or consent will be referred to the district attorney's office for review of potential fraud charges."
Holt stood.
"Your Honor, we'd like to request—"
"Mr.
Holt, I'd like you to sit down."
He sat.
Judge Shen looked at me directly.
It was the first time she had.
"Is there anything else before I close this matter?"
Claire stood.
"Your Honor, the respondent would like to request a formal protective order regarding contact between Evelyn Calloway and the minor child, Noah."
The judge looked at Gerald's declaration.
She looked at the text message.
She looked at Daniel.
"Granted," she said.
"Effective immediately."
May you like
She closed the folder.
It was over in forty minutes.
