Chapter 9
The lead detective burst back into the ballroom, her hand resting firmly on the holster of her sidearm, her breath coming in short, ragged puffs as she took in the bizarre tableau of Arthur sitting calmly at the table, Marcus slumped in defeat, and Elena holding the leather journal.
"Hold everyone right where you are," the detective commanded, her eyes darting suspiciously across the room. "We just received a priority dispatch from the precinct holding cells. Clara Hayes just managed to escape custody."
Marcus jerked upright in his chair, panic flashing across his aged features. "Escape? How is that possible? The holding cells are reinforced steel!"
"She didn't break out through the doors; she used a master security bypass code that wasn't supposed to be active on any civilian terminal," the detective said, stepping further into the room and eyeing Arthur with deep suspicion. "And who the hell are you? You weren't listed on the guest manifest."
Arthur didn't flinch under the officer's intense gaze; instead, he slowly slid the leather journal across the polished wooden table toward her. "I am Arthur Vance, Detective. And I believe this ledger will explain both how my niece's shares were stolen and how my former daughter-in-law acquired the security codes to the municipal database."
The detective looked down at the book, then up at Arthur, before signaling to two officers waiting in the hallway to secure the perimeter. "Check the parking structure and the perimeter gates. Nobody leaves this property until I verify every name on this document."
Elena stepped closer to the detective, her voice urgent. "Detective, Clara didn't just escape to save herself. She knows about the physical vault beneath the corporate headquarters. If she gets to those paper certificates before the federal warrant is executed, she can burn every remaining piece of evidence."
Arthur nodded approvingly. "Indeed. And she has Julian's biometric key fob, which she managed to snatch back during the scuffle in the foyer before they put him in the transport van."
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Marcus buried his face in his hands, groaning softly. "She's going to clean out the emergency trust accounts. We're completely ruined."
"Not we, Marcus," Arthur said, standing up with surprising agility for a man of his years. "Just you and your greedy nephew. Elena and I are going to the downtown office to shut her down permanently."
