Chapter 12 - The Race Against the Clock
The junior officer hurried over to Detective Miller, whispering urgently while sliding the tablet across the metal table. Miller’s expression shifted instantly from skeptical amusement to grim seriousness. He looked up sharply at Martha and Iris, the fluorescent lights reflecting off his glasses.
"The Meridian Financial Trust just accelerated the foreclosure timeline," Miller announced, his voice clipped and professional. "They filed an emergency motion with the municipal court ten minutes ago. The deadline to settle the debt isn't noon tomorrow anymore. It's sunrise—in less than six hours."
Iris felt the color drain from her face entirely. "Six hours? They can't do that!"
"They can and they did, because of the police report involving Robert's break-in," Miller replied bluntly. "It triggered a security clause deeming the property an active hazard."
Martha slammed her hand onto the table, making the plastic chairs rattle. "Where is Robert right now? If he has the hardware drive and we have the access string, we can combine them and clear the debt before sunrise!"
"Robert is currently sitting in a holding cell two rooms down, and he’s refusing to cooperate unless you sign over full ownership of the family business to him," Miller stated calmly. "He knows he holds all the cards."
Iris stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. The emotional exhaustion of the day suddenly melted away, replaced by a fierce, determined clarity. The childish fear she had felt while backing away from Martha’s wooden stick was gone. She was sixteen, but she was the legal executor of the estate, and she wasn't going to let her family's legacy be stolen by greed.
"We don't need him to cooperate," Iris said firmly, her voice steady and resolute.
Martha looked up at her niece in surprise. "What are you talking about? The second half of the key is on the hardware drive he has."
"No," Iris said, remembering a peculiar detail from the family ledger she had found in the attic. "Grandfather didn't just split the key between a card and a drive. He wrote a fail-safe protocol into the smart contract. If the wallet isn't accessed with a secondary biometric override before sunrise, the funds automatically transfer to a public charity fund, leaving the estate completely bankrupt."
Detective Miller stared at Iris, thoroughly impressed. "How did you know that?"
"Because grandfather taught me how to code when I was twelve," Iris replied quietly. "And he told me never to trust Robert with anything important."
Martha stood up beside Iris, a newfound respect shining in her tired eyes. "So how do we trigger the biometric override?"
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Before Iris could answer, the door to the interrogation room opened again, and a lawyer in a sharp gray suit stepped inside, holding a thick briefcase.
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