Chapter 5 - Doctor Rainer
Miriam’s investigator found Malcolm Rainer before lunchtime.
He was a retired psychiatrist.
Not my doctor.
Not affiliated with my hospital.
He worked as a consultant in competency disputes.
More interestingly, he had testified in three cases for attorney Nathan Cross.
The initials from Vanessa’s notebook.
N.C.
Nathan Cross specialized in private conservatorships.
Miriam sent me the court filings.
The pattern was disturbing.
Wealthy individual suffers medical issue.
Family member questions capacity.
Rainer evaluates records.
Cross petitions for temporary control.
Assets are frozen while litigation proceeds.
Sometimes for months.
“Could Vanessa hire them without me knowing?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Could they file without warning?”
“Under some emergency circumstances, they could try.”
“On what evidence?”
“Medical records, witness declarations, behavioral allegations.”
I looked at the forged physician document.
“What if the evidence is fabricated?”
“Then eventually it can collapse.”
“Eventually?”
“That word matters.”
I understood.
Vanessa didn’t need permanent control.
She might only need temporary control long enough to change something.
Sell something.
Move something.
Vote something.
Then Miriam told me the most important detail.
“The trust amendment includes authority over your company shares.”
“I saw that.”
“But did you notice the acquisition clause?”
I hadn’t.
Section Eleven stated that if I became incapacitated within thirty days of a major corporate acquisition, Vanessa would assume my voting position on Hale Meridian’s executive committee.
The Singapore acquisition was worth $420 million.
Control during the integration phase could influence who received ownership of several newly created subsidiaries.
Somebody had designed the documents specifically around my business deal.
May you like
This wasn’t just about our house.
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