“Mr. Hale, I understand your explanation. I am asking whether the document was approved by Ms. Hale before it was submitted as evidence of her agreement.”
Arthur paused.
“I believed my son had obtained her consent.”
The judge looked toward Daniel, who had testified earlier.
Daniel had acknowledged that he could not honestly say I had approved the guarantee.
Arthur’s attorney asked for a moment to confer with his client.
The courtroom fell silent.
I watched Arthur study the documents before him.
He had spent years believing that money could solve any problem, that influence could soften any consequence, and that people who depended on him would eventually accept whatever explanation he offered.
Now he was being asked to answer a simple question under oath.
No one was laughing.
When the hearing resumed, the parties addressed the remaining claims and remedies. My attorney argued that the company’s allegations against me should not stand in light of the evidence, and that my financial claims should be resolved according to the documented transfers and the court’s findings.
