Chapter 7 - THE POLICE AT THE DOOR
The following Tuesday, at 8:00 AM, two black SUVs pulled up to the wrought-iron gates of Evelyn Vance’s sprawling Lake Forest estate.
Detectives from the Cook County Financial Crimes Division, accompanied by officers from the local police department, stepped out onto the driveway holding a signed felony arrest warrant.
Chloe, Marcus’s cousin who had given me the original video, was standing across the street taking video footage on her phone. She live-streamed the entire event to a private family group chat that included every relative who had attended the infamous birthday banquet.
The video showed Evelyn opening her front door in a silk robe, her face pale and sunken.
When the lead detective read her rights and produced the handcuffs, Evelyn lost all composure. She screamed, thrashed, and tried to push past the officers, claiming she was a prominent member of society who couldn't be treated like a common criminal.
The officers calmly turned her around, clicked the steel handcuffs around her wrists, and led her down her front steps in full view of her neighbors.
Ten minutes later, a second police team arrested Julian Vance at a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago as he was attempting to pack bags for a flight to a non-extradition country.
By noon, news of the arrests hit the local television stations.
PROMINENT CHICAGO LOGISTICS MATRIARCH AND SON ARRESTED IN $12 MILLION EMBEZZLEMENT AND TRUST FRAUD SCHEME.
I watched the news broadcast from the living room of the new apartment I had just rented—a bright, sunlit three-bedroom space near a wonderful park and top-rated preschool.
Lily was sitting on the rug beside me, happily building a tower out of wooden blocks. The red mark on her cheek had completely faded, replaced by her natural, healthy rosy glow. She looked up at me, holding out a blue block with a bright smile.
"Mommy, look! Big house!" she cheered.
I knelt beside her, wrapping my arms around her small shoulders, kissing the top of her head.
"It's a beautiful house, sweetheart," I whispered, tears of relief finally spilling down my cheeks. "And no one is ever going to hurt you again."
My phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a message from my attorney, Victoria Sterling.
May you like
“Evelyn and Julian’s bail has been set at $5 million each. Their assets are fully frozen, so they will be spending the night in county custody. Also, Marcus is waiting downstairs in the lobby of my office. He claims he wants to sign the full custody waiver and divorce settlement without contesting a single clause.”
I wiped my tears, looked at my daughter, and typed back: “I’m on my way.”
