“Witness testimonies. Your brother found three people who will allegedly testify that they heard your grandfather say he was planning to sell the car and split the money equally between his grandsons.”
Alex’s heart sank.
“That’s not true. Grandpa never said that.”
“I understand. But that’s their testimony. They will be questioned in court tomorrow. We need to be prepared to refute their claims.”
“How?”
“Do you have any witnesses who can testify to the contrary? People who your grandpa told about his intention to leave the car to you?”
Alex thought. Who could his grandpa have told? He was a private person, didn’t like to share his personal affairs. He didn’t talk much with his neighbors, and most of his friends had passed away or moved.
“I don’t know. Maybe his neighbors? Or one of his old friends?”
“Try to find someone. Even one person who can confirm that your grandpa wanted you to have the car. It would help a lot.”
After work, Alex drove to his grandpa’s house. Or rather, his former house—Victor had already sold it, but the new owners hadn’t moved in yet. The house stood empty, the windows boarded up. Alex knocked on the neighbor’s door. To the left lived an elderly woman, Mrs. Gable, who had been friends with his grandmother.
“Alex!” she said, her face lighting up when she opened the door. “Come in, come in. Would you like some tea?”
“Thanks, Mrs. Gable. I can’t stay long. I wanted to ask you… Did Grandpa ever talk to you about a car? A Bel Air that he kept in a garage?”
The woman thought for a moment.
“A car? Of course, he did. He said it was his pride and joy, that he’d cherished it his whole life. Why do you ask?”
“Well, my brother is suing me. He wants to take the car. He claims Grandpa was going to sell it and split the money between us.”
“What?” Mrs. Gable threw up her hands. “You don’t say! Pete would never have sold that car. He told me so himself, about three years ago, when I was taking him to a doctor’s appointment. He said, ‘Vera, if anything happens to me, I’ve got a car in a garage. It’s for Alex. He should take it, drive it. It’s for him.’ I was surprised at the time and asked why not Victor, since he’s the older one. And Pete said, ‘Victor wants money, but Alex understands the soul of things. I’m leaving it to him.’”
Alex could barely breathe.
“Are you sure you remember that? Could you testify to that in court?”
“Of course, I remember it like it was yesterday. And I’ll go to court if I have to. I’ll tell it just like it was. Pete was a good man. May he rest in peace. As for your Victor…” She grimaced. “Forgive me, Alex, but your brother is a greedy man. He didn’t even dress properly for his grandfather’s funeral. Showed up in a tracksuit. A disgrace.”
Alex thanked Mrs. Gable, took down her phone number, and passed it on to his lawyer. He was pleased.
“Excellent. This is exactly what we need. A witness who can confirm the testator’s intent.”
The next day, they were back in the courtroom. Victor looked confident, even smug. His lawyer had her documents laid out, ready for the witness examination.
The judge opened the session.
“We will continue the hearing. The plaintiff may proceed. You have witnesses to call?”
“Yes, Your Honor. We have called three witnesses who can confirm the testator’s intentions.”
The first to be called was a man in his sixties who introduced himself as George Peterson.
“Did you know the deceased, Peter Miller?”
“Yes, I did. We worked together at the car service about 20 years ago.”
“And did he ever speak to you about his car?”
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