Chapter 5: The Hollister Covenant

👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option A – Offer to protect Evelyn from legal liability if she hands over the suppressed deed documents immediately.

“I can protect you,” I said, my voice low and urgent. “If you help me now. I’ll testify that Julian framed you. I’ll make sure the county knows.”

Evelyn’s eyes searched mine, weighing the risk. Her hand trembled as she unlatched her briefcase.

“My father,” she began, her voice barely a whisper, “he was Silas Lawson’s partner back in ’88. He investigated Eleanor’s disappearance.”

Silas, standing nearby, stiffened. He looked at Evelyn, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

“He told me stories about Hollister House,” Evelyn continued, pulling out a yellowed, brittle document. “He said the house had its own rules.”

She laid the document on my desk. It was an ancient, hand-written copy of the 1888 Hollister Property Covenant, brittle and smelling of old paper and dust. The municipal seal was barely visible at the bottom.

“Section 12,” she said, her finger tracing a faded paragraph. “An automatic municipal forfeiture clause.”

I leaned closer, my eyes straining to read the intricate script. The clause stated that if the registered titleholder incurred corporate tax liens exceeding 90 days, ownership automatically reverted to the Slate Ridge Municipal Historical Trust.

“Julian’s shell company, Hollister Holdings LLC,” Evelyn explained, her voice gaining strength, “has had unpaid tax warrants since July. Forty-two thousand dollars.”

My mind raced, connecting the pieces. “$42,000 for over ninety days? That means…”

“It means Julian never truly owned the property he put up as loan collateral,” Evelyn finished, a grim satisfaction in her tone. “His mortgage attempts, his $2.8 million in loans, his plan to sell the house—it’s all void under state law.”

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Julian’s entire empire, built on lies and forged documents, was balanced on a single, forgotten clause from 1888.

“This changes everything,” I murmured, staring at the ancient document. The phantom voice on Trunk-88 had been trying to tell me this.

“He wanted me to destroy this,” Evelyn said, tapping the covenant. “He knew it existed. He just never thought anyone would find it in time.”

➡️ Read CHAPTER 8 to continue the story