A Final Victory (4)

That was days ago.  Then three weeks went by and Monte still had not heard from Jon.
Guiltily at first, she checked his hotel in Fargo, but he hadn't been there. As time went on, she became more determined. Then found none of the hotels he'd said he stayed at had ever heard of a Jon, or Jonathon Sanders! Finally in desperation she called the Goodyear Company, and, they had no employee by that name.
No one seemed to had ever heard of him!
She gathered the billfold, cards and files together and hurriedly changed clothes.
"Miss Blair, you've found something? Her attorney asked seeing the briefcase when she stepped in his office.
They sat down and the leather chair felt cold as she leaned back and took a halting breath.
"I just can't believe this." Monte's face was pale and her voice shook as she showed him the cards and papers with many different names.
"Miss Blair, you look so tired, why don't you go home and I'll go through this and call you," he said kindly. 
The deed the attorney was holding interested him.  It was for twenty acres just out of the city.
"Miss Blair," he said the next day on the phone, "You need to see the sheriff and file a warrant for this man's arest."  And within a week the man was found and put in jail.
Now, two weeks later they were in court, and Monte sat stonefaced, listening to what they'd discovered.
His real name was Joe Sager. And he was wanted in six states for theft, robbery, and swindle. His crimes always involved women.
"Mr Sager," the stern faced, judge was saying, "I'm sentencing you to prison for twenty years!"
The man's face blanced.
Monte's attorney stood up. "Your Honor," he said, "I have a deed here for some land Mr. Sager owns, that might interest you."  He handed it to the judge and after a few minutes the judge declared.
"Mr Sager, as restition to Miss Blair, I order you to sign this property over to her!"
"My land, no--"  Perspiration ran down Sager's flushed face. The orange coverall harsh in the bright afternoon sunlight that streamed in a window in the courtroom. "But-," he stammered again.
"We've got him now," Monte's attorney whispered, "That land is one of the areas being researched as a possible site for a shopping center."
Joe Sager said pleadingly. "But I inherited it from my dad. This is all I got!"
"Case dismissed!"  The judge ordered, sharply banging his gavel and then it was over.
Monte stood up. "Well, at least I got something, maybe I can sell it for a few thousand dollars," she said to her attorney.
"Listen, that deed was the real thing Miss Blair."
"I don't understand, is it worth something?" Monte asked.
With a grin on his face he said, "now I can tell you.  If that deal happens and that piece of land is chosen for that venture, that shopping center is going to be the second largest in the world. There's one just like it in Canada!"
Too late, she'd found out this man whom she had loved was a fraud. 
And just as he was about to leave the courtroom handcuffed, she jumped to her feet and with all her hurt and anguish blazing in her eyes, she faced him triumphantly and yelled, "Now asshole, how does it feel to have lost your dream!"

Lyn Lacoursiere (circa 1999)