My attorney reviewed the evidence with me.
For several minutes, she explained the differences between the civil claims and potential criminal matters.
Then she paused.
"How are you holding up?"
I looked toward the table.
The question surprised me.
Most conversations lately concerned money, liability, and documents.
Very few people asked how I felt.
I took a slow breath.
"I'm tired."
She nodded.
I continued.
"I keep thinking about the moment the truck started crushing it."
My voice tightened.
"I wasn't there. But I've watched the recording enough times that I can hear the metal breaking in my sleep."
The attorney's expression softened.
She suggested I stop repeatedly watching the footage unless it was necessary for the case.
I nodded.
Then she said something that helped more than another legal explanation.
"You don't have to make the destruction your entire life in order to prove it mattered."
For a moment, I stared at her.
Then I looked toward the photograph of my father on my phone.
She was right.
I had spent months trying to preserve his legacy.
Now I was allowing the worst thing that happened to the car to occupy nearly every waking moment.
I needed to find a different way forward.
The insurance decision arrived nearly eight months after the destruction.
By then, the insurer had received the original appraisal, the vehicle-authenticity documentation, the preservation company's records, the specialist's post-loss findings, and detailed evidence concerning the unauthorized removal.
The review was extensive.
The Phoenix had been insured under a specialized collector-vehicle policy with a four-million-dollar agreed value, subject to the terms and conditions of the contract. The insurer examined the temporary storage arrangement and the unusual circumstances in which the vehicle left the preservation company's custody.
For weeks, my attorney exchanged documents with the adjusters.
Some issues required clarification.
Others involved determining whether particular policy conditions had been satisfied.
Then the insurer confirmed coverage for the total loss under the agreed-value provisions.
The payment was four million dollars, subject to the policy's applicable terms and the proper handling of the remaining vehicle components.
I stared at the letter.
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
My sister was sitting across from me in the workshop.
She noticed my expression.
"What?"
I handed her the letter.
She read it.
Then looked up.
Her eyes widened.
"They're paying?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
For a moment, she seemed relieved.
Then she looked toward the empty storage area.
Her smile faded.
"I wish Dad were here."
I swallowed.