Chapter 4 - The Four-Million-Dollar SignatureThen, after two full years of total silence, the world came crashing back.
A major international energy and mining conglomerate, Cascade Mineral Resources, discovered a vast vein of high-grade lithium beneath the old Harmon family landâthe fifty acres of timberland Harold had retained when they sold the farm house.
The company offered an immediate cash payout of four million dollars for the mineral rights.
However, there was an ironclad legal requirement: the contract required the physical, notarized signature of Harold Harmon.
Richard was the first to receive the corporate legal notice in his Seattle office.
Seeing the four-million-dollar buyout figureâof which the children expected to receive eighty percent under their fatherâs old estate trustâRichard immediately called Michael.
âMichael!â Richard shouted into his phone. âWhere is Dad?! The mining company needs his signature by Friday or the four-million-dollar deal expires!â
âI don't know,â Michael stammered, pulling up his contacts. âI haven't talked to him since... since Christmas two years ago.â
Panicked, Richard called Catherine, who called Sarah and David.
None of them had their parentsâ current phone number. None of them knew their physical address. None of them had visited the retirement home in over twenty-four months.
Realizing the four million dollars was at risk of vanishing, all five adult children drove out to the Eugene retirement community in four luxury SUVs.
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When they marched into the administratorâs office demanding to see their parents, the director looked at them with cold, utter disgust.
âMr. Harmon,â the director said, leaning back in his chair. âYour parents packed their bags and walked out of this facility eight hundred days ago. We sent you eleven emails. You never responded.â
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