Wayne finally confessed. His contracting business had collapsed under heavy debt, and Hollis Development offered him forty thousand dollars upfront if he could convince me to sell. If my signature wasn’t delivered by Friday, he would owe everything back. Even the concrete truck belonged to Hollis. Their manager had told Wayne that “old men always fold,” convincing him intimidation would succeed where patience hadn’t. Instead of asking his father for help, Wayne had decided frightening me was easier.

The porch camera had captured everything, including Wayne threatening that I would eventually run out of food. Deputies charged him with unlawful restraint and attempted coercion, while the concrete truck was towed away before noon. The county also opened an investigation into Hollis Development. Within a month, the company abandoned every pending land deal in the county and fired the manager who had approached Wayne. But I wasn’t taking another chance with my property. My daughter Ruth flew in from Arizona the following morning, and together we made a decision that ensured nobody would ever threaten this land again.