Chapter 11 - A Knock At The Penthouse Door
At 7:00 AM on the morning of April 18th, Luca was standing in his penthouse bathroom, humming a tune as he shaved.
Wendy walked into the master suite, holding a garment bag with her freshly pressed court outfit. “Make sure you look somber for the cameras, Luca. A grieving, abandoned husband who is reluctantly taking over his unstable wife's assets to protect their future.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Luca chuckled, wiping his face with a warm towel. “I’ve rehearsed the speech ten times. Callahan will be handing me the title deed by ten o'clock.”
Just then, a sharp, authoritative knock echoed from the front door of the penthouse.
Luca frowned. “Who the hell is that at seven in the morning? Is that Bradley with the updated filings?”
Wendy walked to the foyer and pulled open the heavy double doors.
Standing in the hallway were two federal marshals in tactical vests alongside Detective Robert Miller.
Wendy’s smile froze. “What is the meaning of this? Do you know who I am?”
“Mrs. Wendy Vance?” Detective Miller asked, holding up his gold badge. “I am Detective Miller from the Major Crimes Division. We are here to serve a mandatory judicial subpoena and material witness warrant for your immediate appearance in Courtroom 4B this morning at 9:00 AM.”
Luca rushed into the foyer, buttoning his cuffs, his face flushing with anger. “What kind of harassment is this? We are the plaintiffs in an uncontested probate hearing in Courtroom 4B this morning anyway! You don’t need to drag marshals to my front door!”
Miller looked at Luca with deadpan eyes. “Just making sure you don’t miss your appointment, Mr. Vance. We wouldn't want you to be late for the biggest day of your life.”
May you like
Luca sneered, adjusting his tie. “We’ll be there, Detective. And after Judge Callahan signs my order, I’m filing an official misconduct complaint against your badge with the Mayor’s office.”
“I look forward to reading it,” Miller said calmly, stepping aside to let the marshals flank the hallway. “See you in court, Luca.”
