I know you married me for a green card, Maya, and I know you think this marriage is just paper, my 76-year-old husband whispered from his deathbed inside Oakhaven Manor, his skin gray as ash.
The discovery of the real Arthur Pendelton’s remains sent a cold wave of horror through me. My green card marriage, my bid for freedom, was tied to a murder. The imposter Arthur, the man who had just died, was a killer and an identity thief.
I carefully re-covered the skeletal remains, pushing the floorboards back into place. My immediate priority shifted. I needed to get the hair sample to Dr. Lindqvist, and I needed help. Real help, from the law.
I managed to slip out of the manor through the back window and the gap in the fence Clara had shown me. The burner phone felt like a lifeline in my pocket. I found the secluded road, then walked for what felt like miles, fueled by adrenaline and dread, until I reached a main highway.
A kind truck driver gave me a ride to the edge of Savannah. From there, I called Dr. Lindqvist, explaining the urgency, using Clara’s name. She agreed to meet me directly at her lab.
Hours later, after dropping off the sample, I used the burner phone to call 911. I reported the possible human remains at Oakhaven Manor, anonymously, fearing that revealing my identity would just get me arrested for trespassing or worse.
It wasn’t long before flashing blue and red lights cut through the afternoon haze. Two Chatham County Sheriff’s patrol cars pulled up the long, gravel driveway of Oakhaven Manor. Behind them, an unmarked sedan. Detective Marcus Holloway emerged from the car, a no-nonsense expression on his face.
“Detective Holloway, Chatham County Homicide,” he announced, walking towards the now-open front doors. His gaze swept over the Pendelton relatives now gathered on the porch, their faces a mix of confusion and indignation.
Evelyn, ever the matriarch, stepped forward, her hands on her hips. “What is the meaning of this intrusion? This is private property!”
“We received an anonymous tip about possible illegal activity and human remains on the premises, ma’am,” Holloway stated, his eyes fixed on her. “We’ll need to conduct a search.”
A murmur went through the Pendelton group. Silas, his face pale, glared at me. He must have suspected I was behind the call.
“Human remains?” Evelyn scoffed, her voice laced with outrage. “This is preposterous! This woman, Maya Lin, is trying to cause trouble! She’s an illegal immigrant who fraudulently married my brother for a green card.”
Holloway turned to me, his brow furrowing. “Ma’am, are you Maya Lin?”
I nodded, my stomach clenching.
Before I could explain anything, Evelyn strode forward, brandishing a document. “And furthermore, Detective, we have a court order here. An emergency eviction injunction, signed by a local probate referee. It declares Maya Lin an illegal squatter and orders her immediate removal from Oakhaven Manor.”
Holloway took the document, his expression unreadable as he read it. He looked from the paper to Evelyn, then back to me. The emergency injunction was real. It bore the Chatham County Superior Court seal.
“Is this true, Ms. Lin?” Holloway asked, his voice losing its initial neutrality. “Do you have any legal right to be here, considering this document?”
My heart sank. My word against theirs, again. And now, they had a court order.
“I’m his legal wife,” I said, trying to stand tall. “And the will states…”
“The will is contested!” Evelyn interrupted triumphantly. “And this injunction takes precedence until probate can be settled. She’s a trespasser.”
Holloway sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at the agitated Pendelton relatives, then at the sealed document in his hand.
“Ma’am, based on this injunction, I’m afraid I have to ask you to temporarily vacate the main grounds of Oakhaven Manor,” he said, his voice regretful but firm. “My officers will escort you off the property. You can’t be on the premises while this is being sorted out.”
My eyes widened. I had called for help, and now I was being removed, forced to leave the evidence of the real Arthur’s murder behind. The imposter’s family had outmaneuvered me yet again, using the very legal system I hoped would save me. I was outside, looking in, while the murder scene was left in their hands.
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