It became a case.
Kidnapping. Coercion. Fraud. Assault. Conspiracy.
At the preliminary hearing, Mark wore a gray suit and the stunned expression of a man realizing charm doesn’t work on evidence.
His lawyer tried to paint me as an interfering, emotional mother.
I leaned toward the microphone.
“I am emotional,” I said. “My daughter was chained in a garage. But I am also precise.”
Then I played the recording from my porch.
Mark’s own voice filled the courtroom.
“Emily signed everything.”
The judge denied bail.
