Chapter 5 - The Injunction Hearing
On Monday morning, Room 402 of the Anne Arundel County Courthouse was dead silent. Judge Margaret Vance—no relation to Cynthia—sat behind the high bench, her sharp eyes scanning the documents piled before her.
Reed sat at the defense table with a high-priced corporate defense attorney from DC. He looked confident, his hair perfectly styled, occasionally whispering to Cynthia, who sat in the front row of the gallery holding the new baby in a designer lace blanket.
"Your Honor," Reed’s attorney began, standing up and smoothing his tie. "My client is a respected businessman and a devoted father who has spent five years raising a difficult child alone while the petitioner was completely unreachable on an undisclosed contract. We have documentation showing the child’s behavioral issues require a structured, private environment. The petitioner’s sudden, violent intrusion into the home has caused immense emotional distress to the minor."
Judge Vance looked over her glasses at Blythe, who sat alone at the petitioner’s table, Arthur Pendelton beside her. "Mrs. Mallory... or rather, Ms. Sutter, what do you have to say to these claims?"
Blythe stood up. She didn't look at Reed. She looked directly at the judge.
"Your Honor, I would like to submit three pieces of evidence into the record," Blythe said, her voice echoing clearly through the courtroom. "First, the comprehensive medical evaluation performed on my son, Ellis Sutter, by Dr. Evelyn Harrison on Thursday night, documenting severe physical neglect and abuse."
She handed a folder to the bailiff. Reed’s attorney stood up to object, but Judge Vance waved him down, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the medical photos of the red collar marks on Ellis’s neck.
"Second," Blythe continued, her voice rising with an iron authority, "the original, certified deed of the Severn River property and the unaltered medical records recovered from my father’s private vault, proving that Reed Mallory committed systematic identity fraud to alienate my property."
"And third," Blythe said, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a small digital recorder, "the audio recording captured by my personal security array at 6:14 PM last Wednesday when I arrived at the residence."
Blythe pressed play.
The speakers of the courtroom filled with the sweet, sharp voice of Lorraine Mallory: “Your boy doesn’t sleep in a bedroom anymore, Reed. He sleeps where he belongs... He snaps when he gets worked up, and I won’t have him upsetting the baby.”
Then came Reed’s cold, dismissive response: “He had problems. You weren’t here, Blythe. You have no idea what we dealt with.”
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The courtroom went entirely cold. Cynthia flinched, pulling the lace blanket higher over her face, while Reed’s attorney slowly sat back down, his expression turning into one of profound professional regret.
Judge Vance slammed her gavel down with a sound like a gunshot. "The court denies the respondent's motion for an injunction. Furthermore, this court issues an immediate emergency protective order removing the minor, Ellis Sutter, from the custody of Reed Mallory. Mr. Mallory, you are to surrender all keys to the Severn River property immediately. Bailiff, contact the District Attorney’s office. We have an active criminal conspiracy in this room."
