Marcus: The lights are still on inside. Somebody is in there.
Sarah: That's Greg Vance's car parked in the employee spot.
Toby: Is that the bad guy's brother-in-law?
Sarah: Yes, honey. He's the official county records clerk.
Marcus walked up to the heavy glass doors and knocked firmly on the frame.
Marcus: Open up! County business!
Inside the brightly lit hall, a middle-aged man in a wrinkled dress shirt peered through the blinds, looking panicked.
Greg: We're closed! Come back during normal operating hours tomorrow morning!
Big Bear: Open this door, Greg. You know who I am.
Greg: Chief Bear? What are you doing with these bikers?
Big Bear: We're here to inspect the military trust registry for Captain David Miller.
Greg: That file was archived months ago! It's undergoing routine maintenance!
Marcus: Maintenance? Or shredding?
Greg: I don't know what you're talking about! Leave before I press the silent alarm!
Big Bear: Press it, Greg. My former deputy is on duty tonight. He'd love to come down here and inspect why you're destroying county documents after hours.
Greg's face turned pale. He slowly unlocked the glass door and pushed it open, his hands shaking violently.
Greg: Look, Chief... Richard told me the Miller family abandoned the property! He said the estate was completely settled!
Sarah: You knew David! He served in the National Guard with your cousin!
Greg: Mrs. Miller... I was just following procedure!
Marcus: Show us the physical file, Greg. Right now.
Greg led them into a back archive room lined with heavy steel filing cabinets. He pulled out a thick blue folder labeled "Miller, David - Captain - USA Military Trust."
Marcus: Open it.
Greg opened the folder, revealing several stamped legal papers and a sealed envelope marked with a military emblem.
Sarah: That's David's handwriting! That's the life insurance payout directive!
Marcus: Read the stamped seal on page three, Big Bear.
Big Bear: "Paid in full. Mortgage deed transferred to Sarah Miller and Toby Miller upon death of service member." Dated eight months ago!
Sarah: Oh my God... the debt was paid off eight months ago!
Toby: Mommy! Daddy really did save our house!
Sarah: Why did you hide this, Greg?! Why did you let your brother-in-law terrorize us for thousands of dollars?!
Greg: Richard offered me twenty percent of the equity when he resold the land! My daughter needs tuition money... I was desperate!
Marcus: Being desperate doesn't give you the right to steal from a dead soldier's widow and son.
Greg: Please... don't send me to prison! I'll give you the certified deed right now!
Big Bear: You're going to prison anyway, Greg. But handing over that certified deed right now is the only thing that might save you from twenty years.
Greg: Here! Take it! Here is the original deed stamped by the State of Texas!
Sarah took the stamped deed into her trembling hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Sarah: We're safe, Toby... we're finally safe.
Toby: Can we show this to the mean lawyer now, Mommy?
Marcus: Oh, we're going to do better than that, kiddo. We're going to present this directly to the judge at tomorrow morning's hearing.
Big Bear: I'm taking Greg into custody right now for official misconduct and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Greg: Wait! Don't cuff me in front of the building!
Big Bear: Walk, Greg. You made your bed, now lie in it.
As Big Bear led the crying records clerk out to a squad car, Marcus put his large hand on Toby's shoulder.
Marcus: Half the battle is won, son. Tomorrow morning, we finish it in court.
Toby: Will you stay with us tonight, Mister Marcus?
Marcus: My crew and I will be standing guard right outside your house all night long.
However, as night fell over the neighborhood, Richard Vance was preparing one final, dangerous trick to destroy the evidence before morning.