The hearing began.
Claire stood first. She presented the photographs one by one on a screen at the front of the courtroom. The hole by the fireplace. The hole by the hallway. The hole in the pale green guest room. The faucets. The soaked bathmat. The water meter readings.
And then the repair estimates. Drywall. Plumbing. Water heater inspection. Subfloor repair in the upstairs bathroom. She read the total out loud.
The judge wrote something down.
Then Mr. Pruitt stood up.
“With all due respect, Your Honor,” he said, “my client vacated the property under significant emotional strain. Moving is chaotic. Things happen. It’s entirely possible that some of the damage depicted here may have existed before my client left the residence. Pre-existing conditions. Wear and tear.”
I felt Claire’s hand touch my arm under the table. Stay still.
Ezoic
“As for the faucets,” Pruitt went on, “my client has no recollection of leaving any water running and cannot account for it.”
