Chapter 9 - THE GUARDIANSHIP PETITION
Robert’s guardianship petition was never filed.
It remained inside his attorney’s private drafts, but its language exposed his expectations.
Amanda was described as medically fragile.
Katie was described as emotionally dependent on Robert.
No evidence supported either claim.
Robert planned to present himself as the grieving man who alone could preserve Katie’s stability.
If appointed guardian, he would gain authority over the house Amanda inherited and limited access to funds reserved for Katie’s education and care.
The money was not as large as Amanda’s business assets.
Control mattered more.
As Katie’s guardian, Robert could decide where she lived, which therapists she saw, and who heard her account of the night Amanda died.
He could move her away from Grace.
He could describe her accusation at the funeral as traumatic confusion.
He could make the ring disappear twice.
Grace filed immediately to prevent Robert from obtaining any guardianship authority.
Amanda’s sister, Claire, came to stay with Katie under temporary court supervision. Claire had lived in Oregon and had not seen the family often, but Amanda had named her as Katie’s preferred guardian in a recently updated document.
Katie liked Claire but did not know her well.
Claire did not pretend otherwise.
“I’m not trying to replace your mother,” she said.
“No one can.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to make me move?”
“Not before the court and you decide what is safest.”
That answer helped.
Robert’s attorney argued that Claire was nearly a stranger while Robert had lived with Katie for four years.
The prosecutor answered with the kitchen recording, hidden surveillance, financial fraud, and evidence tampering.
The court prohibited Robert from contacting Katie.
He violated the order within six hours.
A letter arrived through one of Amanda’s relatives.
Robert wrote:
You know your mother was tired. You know she sometimes took medicine without telling anyone. The ring was mine. Adults will twist your memories because they want my money.
Katie handed the letter to Lena without finishing it.
Robert was charged with witness tampering.
His relative claimed not to know the contents.
Robert’s desperation was becoming reckless.
He also called Amanda’s design company from jail and attempted to authorize a payment through an old voice-verification system.
The employee recognized the situation and contacted police.
Robert had not abandoned the financial motive even after arrest.
The company’s audit revealed another forged transfer scheduled for the day after Amanda’s funeral.
If burial occurred as planned, Robert intended to move the remaining project funds while relatives gathered at the cemetery.
He expected grief to distract everyone.
Katie’s interruption stopped more than the funeral.
It stopped the transfer.
Grace recovered the blue paper found inside Amanda’s coffin. The pharmacy receipt carried faint handwriting on the reverse side.
Under angled light, the words became visible:
Ask Katie what she heard after the garage door.
Amanda must have written the note before losing consciousness.
She knew Katie had heard the argument.
She may have pushed the paper into her sleeve before Robert returned.
Lena asked Katie carefully.
“What happened after the garage door closed?”
Katie replayed the night.
She had returned upstairs.
Several minutes later, she heard the side door beep.
Then Amanda said, “You came back.”
Robert answered something too low to understand.
A chair scraped.
Amanda shouted:
“You already put it in the tea.”
That sentence confirmed she had identified the drug.
Then Robert said:
“It wasn’t supposed to kill you.”
Katie had buried the words beneath fear.
Now they returned clearly.
Lena asked whether she was certain.
Katie nodded.
“He sounded angry that she knew.”
The statement suggested Robert might claim he intended only to weaken Amanda.
Legally, administering a dangerous drug and refusing emergency help could still support murder.
Morally, Katie saw no distinction.
He poisoned her mother.
Then he chose death over discovery.
The prosecutor prepared Katie’s testimony through a specially trained interviewer. She would not face Robert directly unless necessary.
Katie asked one question.
“Can Mom’s voice be played instead?”
Lena looked at Amanda’s recorder, pantry camera, speaker file, and watch data.
“Her voice will be heard.”
Katie nodded.
“Then she can stand with me.”
That night, technicians recovered one additional audio fragment from the damaged memory card.
After the camera lost video, it continued recording sound for fourteen seconds.
Amanda gasped:
“Robert, call an ambulance.”
He answered:
May you like
“Sign the transfer first.”
👉 Robert had tried to exchange emergency help for Amanda’s signature while the poison was already stopping her heart.
