Chapter 10 - Handcuffs for Four
Judge Harrison removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When he looked back up at the petitioner's table, his expression was colder than marble.
"The emergency petition for conservatorship is dismissed with extreme prejudice," Harrison ruled, his voice vibrating through the room. "The 2019 testament is hereby declared null and void as an instrument of documented fraud. The 2021 Arthur Vance Trust is affirmed as the sole, lawful, and binding disposition of the estate."
Harrison turned his gaze to the back of the courtroom. "United States Marshals, do you have warrants for the parties before me?"
"We do, Your Honor," Supervisory Deputy Marshal Keller answered, stepping forward with three additional armed agents.
"Execute them immediately."
Keller and his team moved with terrifying efficiency. Within seconds, Marshal Keller had Marcus Albright pressed face-down against the mahogany counsel table, twisting the lawyer's arms behind his back and clicking heavy steel cuffs around his wrists.
"I am an officer of the court!" Albright shrieked, his pristine suit jacket tearing at the shoulder seam. "This is a violation of due process! Harold, tell them! Tell them you forged the signatures!"
"You son of a bitch!" Harold screamed, lunging at Albright across the table before two Marshals seized him by the arms, forcing him down into his seat and ratcheting handcuffs tight against his wrists. "You told me we couldn't lose! You promised me five million dollars!"
"You're both going to prison!" Beatrice shrieked, clawing at the Marshals as they placed cuffs around her wrists. "Evelyn! Tell them to stop! I'm your mother! You can't do this to your mother!"
Evelyn stood motionless at her table, her arms crossed, watching her family tear each other apart in the open well of the court.
"You stopped being my mother when you decided to steal the bed Grandpa died in," Evelyn said evenly.
A female marshal stepped toward Fiona, who was still huddled on the floor by her tripod. "Fiona Vance, stand up. You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property, and tampering with evidence."
"No! Please! Turn off the camera!" Fiona screamed, flailing as the steel snapped around her wrists. "Someone shut off the stream! Please!"
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Nobody touched the phone. The livestream chat had mutated into a global wall of mockery, memes, and celebration. The broadcast ran unbroken as all four defendants were marched down the center aisle of Courtroom 402 in chains, their heads bowed, their screams of betrayal echoing down the long marble corridor toward the federal transport vans waiting outside.
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