The Land My Father Left Me and the House That Disappeared
Attached to the chain was a bright orange notice.
It was a court-ordered seizure warrant.
Underneath the photo was a text message from Nathan Cole.
“Alexandra, we have a major problem,” the message read.
“They’ve locked us out of the yard.”
The phone began to ring in my hand, Nathan’s name flashing on the screen.
I swiped the screen and put the phone to my ear.
“Nathan,” I said, keeping my voice low so Chloe wouldn’t worry.
“They’ve got a court order, Alexandra,” Nathan said, his voice tight.
“Who is ‘they’?” I asked.
“Richard’s lawyers,” he said. “A sheriff’s deputy showed up at the storage yard twenty minutes ago with a writ of attachment.”
“They’re accusing us of stealing the structure.”
I looked across the table at Chloe, who was chewing on her lip.
“Can they do that?” I asked.
“The yard owner had to comply,” Nathan said. “My trucks are locked inside with the flatbeds.”
“Don’t do anything yet,” I said. “Let me call Gloria.”
I hung up and stared at my iced tea.
The condensation ran down the glass, pooling on the faux-wood laminate of the table.