Chapter 20 - The Gates of Canterbury Lane
The black state-issued sedan crunched slowly over the pristine, untouched gravel of the Canterbury Lane driveway, stopping twenty feet from the massive double front doors of the estate.
Inside the car, Hannah sat in the passenger seat, looking out through the tinted glass at the imposing red-brick mansion where she had spent seven years playing the role of the dutiful, silent trophy wife. The twelve-foot Christmas tree was still visible through the front bay window, its German white lights twinkling mockingly in the bright morning sunlight.
Frank sat behind the wheel, his hands resting easily on the steering wheel, a small, grim smile playing at the corners of his mouth. In the back seat sat Ryan, curled into himself like a frightened animal, staring out the window with wide, hollow eyes.
"We’re here," Frank announced, putting the car in park.
The two county deputies stepped out of the patrol car that had followed them up the drive, walking briskly toward the front steps. One of them raised a heavy brass-knobbed hand and banged three times on the grand mahogany door.
For a long moment, nothing happened. The estate looked as grand, impenetrable, and silent as a mausoleum.
Then, the heavy door swung open.
Judith Sterling stood in the entryway. She wasn't wearing her silk robe or her pearls. She wore a simple, dark wool dress, her hair unstyled, her face pale and lined with exhaustion. The moment she saw the deputies—and then saw Hannah stepping out of the passenger side of the lead car—all the color drained completely from her face.
"What is the meaning of this?" Judith demanded, her voice cracking slightly despite her best efforts to sound imperious. "Get off this property immediately, or I’ll have your badges before noon!"
The senior deputy stepped forward, holding out a thick, blue-backed document bearing the gold seal of the state supreme court.
"Mrs. Sterling, by order of the federal district court and the primary co-trustee of the Parker-Sterling estate, you are hereby served with an immediate twenty-four-hour notice of eviction and asset freeze pending forensic audit," the deputy recited in a flat, monotone voice. "You are required to vacate the premises immediately. Any attempt to remove art, jewelry, or liquid assets registered under the corporate trust will be treated as federal grand larceny."
Judith’s eyes darted past the deputy, locking directly onto Hannah, who was walking slowly up the shoveled stone pathway, her hands tucked deep into the pockets of Frank’s heavy wool coat, her head held high.
"You..." Judith hissed, taking a step forward across her own threshold as if she wanted to lunge down the steps and scratch Hannah’s eyes out. "You ungrateful little parasite! You think you can take my home? You think you can destroy everything I built?"
Hannah stopped at the bottom of the stone steps, looking up at the woman who had terrorized her for seven years, who had struck her across the face, who had thrown her five-year-old daughter out into the freezing snow without a second thought.
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"It was never your home, Judith," Hannah said, her voice carrying clearly across the silent, snow-covered lawn. "It was just a prison. And today... the gates are finally closing on you."
***
