Next Door

Chapter 21

"I'm sorry but I really don't understand any of this," Ivy said shaking her head while she looked at the papers in her hand.

"That's okay, it's my job to understand all this," Mr. Ridley said smiling softly. "Basically, this is saying that they want to risk going to court and having a jury decide what is going on. They are trying to say that they haven't been stealing and that the paperwork is falsified."

"But it isn't," She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that, I wouldn't even know how to do that."

"And that is why we are going to court," he nodded. "We have so much evidence that proves it's not something you would do and they think you only have evidence going back a couple of years. They don't know that you kept everything since they started working for you."

"Could this be why they tried getting me to throw away everything at the end of the year every year?" She asked confused.

"What?" Mr. Ridley asked shocked.

She nodded, "Every year when they would bill me for their service they would remind me that since the year is over I don't need to keep anything anymore so I just need to throw it away or destroy it so no one could steal my information."

"They actually said that?" he asked.

"Yeah, I actually have every conversation I have had with them recorded," She shrugged.

"You do?" Mr. Ridley asked shocked.

"Yeah," She nodded. "Oma engrained it in me ever since I started painting that anyone that I ever hired might try to lie to me so I better record every single conversation so that if I ever had to prove myself against them, they can't go against their own words."

"Do you still have those recordings by chance?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, Owen and Kota have them actually. It's in one of the boxes they took from my storage," She said turning to look at Owen, "They are in the box with the bills from the phone company showing when I would talk to them."

"You have those also?" Mr. Ridley asked excitedly.

"Yes, why?" she asked confused.

"Because Darling," Owen smirked, "It will show you talked to them in case they tried denying telling you and try to say the recordings are made up."

"People would make up recordings?" She asked and they both nodded.

"If it means getting away with stealing or something more severe yes," Mr. Ridley nodded.

"But it's wrong?" She asked confused.

"Not everyone is as nice and trustworthy as you are Darling," Owen said rubbing her lower back gently. "Do you remember which box everything is in? I can have someone bring it by later."

"The two hunter green totes," She nodded. "I just put in the last conversation with them right before I moved and met you guys. They were mad I was moving because it meant changing all the paperwork and bank information and everything else."

"It's really not that big of a issue," Mr. Ridley rolled his eyes, "A few phone calls and that's about it actually. When you find a new manager just let me know and I will thoroughly investigate them for you."

"There will be no need," Owen said hanging up his phone. "We will be taking over everything."

"What?" she asked shocked.

"Well, I will let you two discuss that," Mr. Ridley chuckled. "Anyway, since they are wanting to go to court over this, the judge has set a day for next Wednesday at 9am. Blackbourne, I take it you will be joining her?"

"A couple of us will be joining you and her. The rest will remain home to care for Roxas so he will not be brought into it," Owen nodded.

"Speaking of which, when it comes to the custody case," Mr. Ridley started to say but her phone rang.

"Speak of the devil," She sighed and rolled her eyes once she saw Shelby on the screen.

"Put it on speaker," Mr. Ridley said and she nodded.

She took a deep breath and hit the answer button then speaker. "Hello Mother, to what do I owe this displeasure?"

"Where is my son?" A nasally voice came through the phone. "He is not at your house, so where is he?"

"You've been to my house?" Ivy asked shocked. "How do you know where I live?"

The voice burst out laughing, "Do you think I am stupid Girl? I have known every single time you have moved. I know who the boy's doctor is and I know you haven't put him in a public school yet which is not going to look good in court just so you know. I will also have you know that Judge Jones favors biological mothers and has given children back to their biological parents numerous times even after their rights have been wrongfully taken away, like you took mine away against my wishes. I will prove that you deceived me and I will get the boy back and then you will never see him again."
"How do you know where I live Mother?" She asked still trying to wrap her mind around that.

"God you are so fucking dumb," The voice scoffed. "I followed you of course! I have followed you every single time you snuck out at night to move thinking I was asleep. I followed you to every single doctor's appointment and I watched you work dumb ass job struggling to care for the boy properly. I know you are struggling fucking painting stupid paintings that no one wants. I know you have nothing in your room while the boy has more than he actually needs. That just shows you are unfit because you are not properly caring for him, he doesn't need video games he just needs to go to a public school and have some clothes not that ridiculous amount that is in his closet."

"You've been inside my house mother?" She asked as color drained from her face.

"Why do you have a six bedroom house anyway when it is just the two of you?" The voice asked laughing. "Do you actually think you will meet someone and have a family? Are you really that dumb? No one is going to want to marry you when you have that boy already. No man wants a premade family and no man is going to want someone as stupid as you are girl."

"Why are you doing this Mother?" She asked trying to remain calm. "Why do you want him so much?"

"Because you have him of course," She chuckled. "Why should you get away with taking him from me?"

"Oh my god, I know why," Ivy said gasping. "It's because of the life insurance policy on the both of us that my grandparents set up before they passed. How did you know about it Mother?"

"I told you I know everything," She chuckled. "I will get the both of you one way or another."