Chapter 12
Lily burst out from behind the line of boxwood hedges directly into the open expanse of the lit driveway, her small figure illuminated brightly by the flashing cruiser lights.
“Help!” Lily screamed, her voice cutting sharply through the night air, carrying over the hum of the idling fire trucks. “Help me! Please!”
The uniformed police officer standing by the cruiser whipped around instantly, his hand dropping automatically toward his utility belt as he spotted the disheveled, soot-covered girl in the torn blue dress sprinting desperately toward him. At that exact moment, Marcus emerged from the shadows of the hedge line, his expression twisting into a mask of false concern as he held up his hands defensively.
“Officer, wait! It’s all right!” Marcus called out smoothly, jogging forward with a practiced air of authority. “This is Elena’s daughter. She must have wandered out through a side exit during the panic of the fire. She’s in shock.”
“Stay away from me!” Lily yelled, veering sharply toward the police officer and shoving the heavy leather ledger directly into his chest. “He’s lying! He and Mommy locked me in the room! They burned the house down to hide the stolen money! Read the book!”
The officer caught the heavy leather ledger instinctively, looking down at the young girl’s terrified, soot-stained face before shifting his gaze to Marcus, who had now stopped a few feet away, his face pale and rigid. The officer opened the cover of the ledger, his eyes scanning the neat columns of financial figures and the explicit headers detailing offshore embezzlement accounts. The professional facade Marcus had maintained all evening instantly cracked, revealing the panicked calculation beneath.
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“Officer,” Marcus stammered, taking a nervous step backward toward the darkness of the lawn. “The child is delusional from smoke inhalation. That book is an old theatrical prop from a—”
“Don’t move an inch, sir. Keep your hands where I can see them,” the officer commanded sharply, unlatching his holster and stepping protectively in front of Lily as he unclipped his radio. “Dispatch, we have a priority situation at the west wing. Requesting backup and immediate detention of a secondary suspect on scene. Secure the perimeter now.”
