Chapter 11 - The Domino Effect
News of Richard Montgomery’s arrest at the Oakridge Country Club spread across the state like wildfire. By nightfall, local news stations were leading their broadcasts with photos of the prominent real estate mogul being led away in handcuffs.
The immediate financial repercussions were swift and catastrophic for Montgomery Development Enterprises.
Commercial real estate is built entirely on credit, reputation, and goodwill. When the news hit that the firm's founder was facing felony charges for forgery and real estate fraud, three major regional banks immediately froze Montgomery Development's revolving lines of credit. Construction projects across the city ground to a halt as sub-contractors, fearing they wouldn't be paid, pulled their equipment off job sites.
I sat at the kitchen island at Willowbrook Farm, watching a news segment showing empty bulldozers parked outside one of Richard's flagship commercial plazas.
My mother sat beside me, shelling fresh peas into a stainless steel bowl. The rhythmic pop of the pods was a soothing contrast to the chaotic noise coming from the television screen.
"It's strange," she murmured, looking up at the broadcast. "For months, those people made me feel like I was taking up space in the world. Like because my shoes had mud on them, my life was worth less."
"They wanted you to feel small so you wouldn't fight back, Mom," I said, offering her a glass of cold water. "People like Richard Montgomery assume everyone has a price."
"They don't understand dirt," she smiled softly, her eyes turning toward the window where the afternoon sun warmed the pasture. "You can't buy dirt that's been watered with thirty years of hard work."
My phone chimed on the table. It was a message from Marcus Vance:
May you like
Marcus: The DA just rejected Richard’s preliminary bail application. He’s spending the night in county lockup. Stephanie’s lawyer is begging for a private meeting tomorrow morning before the indictment hearing.
I replied immediately: I’ll be there. But make sure Detective Miller is in the room.
