“Mother said we couldn’t let her leave with Sam,” she said.

“So you held her prisoner?”

“Mother said it was the only way to keep the family together,” Melanie cried.

“And was there any other reason?” Mr. Miller asked.

“Perhaps a financial one?” he asked.

Melanie wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.

“Mother promised me,” she whispered.

“Promised you what?”

“She said if we got full custody of Sam, we would control the trust fund my grandfather left for him,” Melanie said.

The courtroom was completely still.

The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioner overhead.

“She said she would give me half of the money,” Melanie said, her voice trembling.

“She said we would split the three hundred thousand dollars, and I could finally buy my own place,” she said.

She looked at Josephine, her eyes pleading.

“She made me do it,” Melanie screamed, pointing a shaking finger at her mother.

“She told me if I didn’t help her tie Grace down, she would write me out of the will completely!”

Josephine did not flinch.