Chapter 3 - The Clutches of Greed
Vance stood less than two feet from where I crouched. I could see the hem of his bathrobe and his bare feet against the Persian rug.
He reached down and touched the back of the desktop tower.
It was still warm from running the drive clone.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs, but I did not allow my breathing to change. I slipped my hand into my pocket, gripping a small metal pen drive with sharp edges, ready to strike if he discovered me.
Vance frowned, reaching for the mouse to wake the display.
Before the screens could illuminate, his cell phone chimed loudly on the desk.
He picked it up immediately. “Rebecca? Why are you calling at one in the morning?”
I listened from beneath the desk as my sister’s panicked voice echoed through the phone speaker.
“Vance, Daniel is acting weird!” Rebecca cried. “He came back to the house, packed his clothes, and took all the medical receipts from the kitchen counter! He said he’s hiring a lawyer!”
Vance’s face darkened, his voice dropping into a harsh, angry tone. “What did you tell him?”
“Nothing! I told him he was being paranoid! But he left with his truck! What if he goes to the police about the suite charges?”
Vance swore under his breath, rubbing his forehead. “He won't go to the police. He doesn't have the money for a real attorney, and he’s terrified of losing the baby. Listen to me, Rebecca. Stay at your parents' house. I’ll handle Daniel tomorrow morning.”
“What about Valerie?” Rebecca asked, her tone shifting into a whining demand. “When is she transferring the condo? The contractor for our house in Saint Thomas needs a fifty-thousand-dollar deposit by Friday!”
“She’ll sign,” Vance said coldly. “I’m pushing her tomorrow. If she refuses, I’ll have Arthur and Beatrice tell her they’re cutting off her inheritance entirely. She’s desperate for their approval. She’ll break.”
“Good,” Rebecca said, sounding relieved. “I hate looking at her stupid, smug face. She thinks she’s so smart just because she works on Wall Street.”
“Don't worry about Val,” Vance said with a cruel chuckle. “She’s just an insurance policy with a paycheck. Get some sleep.”
He hung up the phone, turned off the office lights, and walked back down the hallway, closing the door behind him.
I waited five agonizing minutes in total darkness before crawling out from under the desk.
I plugged the thumb drive back in, waited forty seconds for the final files to complete copying, and safely unmounted the hardware.
I stepped out onto the balcony of the study, the crisp night air biting my face.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Daniel.
“Valerie?” Daniel answered on the first ring, his voice breathless. “I took my things. I’m staying at a motel near the highway.”
“Did you get the physical copies of the invoices?” I asked.
May you like
“Yes. Every single one.”
“Good,” I said, looking up at the stars above Manhattan’s distant glow. “Pack your bags, Daniel. Tomorrow morning, we aren't going to court. We’re going to the State Attorney General’s Office.”
