Chapter 23 - The Last Court Notice
The final court related notice came when I was sixty two.
Restitution accounting after Jason’s death.
He had died quietly in New Mexico from cardiac event at sixty seven.
No violence.
No last offense.
No contact.
His estate:
Small checking account.
Old truck.
Retirement balance.
After burial and exempt expenses, remaining funds applied to restitution.
The total financial fraud loss had never been fully recovered.
Insurers absorbed some.
My company’s civil judgment had been partially satisfied years earlier.
No new money due personally after estate distribution.
The notice said:
CASE CLOSED.
I stared.
Then called Sarah.
“Got same?”
“Yes.”
“How feel?”
“Nothing.”
“Me too.”
Then Emily.
She already knew Jason died from victim services? Maybe no. We told.
She said:
“Okay.”
Then cried that night.
Not for him exactly.
For end of person who had occupied childhood fear.
She did not attend funeral.
No flowers.
No statement.
His sister Dana handled.
She later wrote Sarah:
“I know nothing changes. I’m sorry.”
Sarah replied once:
“Thank you.”
Then all legal files.
Federal.
State.
Restitution.
Civil.
Closed.
No outstanding fake account.
No hidden property.
No unknown accomplice.
Trevor Miles had long left bookkeeping.
Vale Restoration gone.
Red Pine cabin sold.
Orchard warehouse redevelopment.
River unit rented to someone else.
Black bags destroyed.
Keys gone.
Pool ordinary.
Jason was gone.
Then I opened an old folder in home office.
The original copy of Sarah’s letter.
MICHAEL.
I had kept.
I read one last time.
I hid this box from you because I know you.
She had been right then.
I was different now.
Not because age only.
Because being predictable in anger had nearly helped someone frame me.
I shredded my copy after confirming official record.
Sarah kept hers? Her choice.
No symbolism necessary.
Then I deleted fake Carter Recovery screenshots from personal folder.
May you like
The state had archive.
I no longer needed look at version of me Jason invented.
