Chapter 4 – THE LAWYER WITH THE LIMP

Douglas stared at the old man, his grip tightening on the manila envelope. “Get out of my way, old man. This is private bank business.”

Arthur Vance didn’t move. He leaned heavily on his polished cane, a serene smile on his weathered face. “It stopped being private business the moment you used laundered funds to bribe your son-in-law, Douglas. That elevates it to federal racketeering.”

Douglas’s face drained of color. “How do you know about that?”

Arthur stepped into the vault, forcing Douglas to step backward. “Because the man Rebecca was having an affair with four years ago… was my son.”

The air in the steel vault seemed to instantly evaporate.

I looked at the scattered surveillance photos on the floor. The man laughing with Rebecca in the coffee shop. I hadn’t recognized him, but looking closely now, I saw the resemblance to Arthur.

“Your son?” I breathed.

“Yes,” Arthur said, his smile fading into a look of profound sorrow. “His name was David. He was an oncologist at the hospital where Rebecca worked. They fell deeply in love. David was prepared to leave his own unhappy marriage to be with her.”

Arthur looked at Douglas with cold, unyielding disgust.

“But then, four years ago, Rebecca suddenly broke it off,” Arthur continued. “She disappeared from David’s life completely. Refused to answer his calls. Quit her job at the hospital. David was devastated. He didn’t understand what he had done wrong.”

Arthur tightened his grip on his cane. “Six months later, David died in a car accident on the interstate.”

I gasped, covering my mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you,” Arthur said softly. Then his eyes hardened on Douglas. “I never understood why Rebecca left him so abruptly. Not until yesterday, when I received an anonymous package at my law office containing copies of those surveillance photos and a detailed account of your blackmail scheme, Douglas.”

Douglas panicked. “Anonymous package? I didn’t send that! I’ve been trying to keep this buried!”

“I know you didn’t send it,” Arthur said. “Because the return address on the package was Nathan’s construction firm.”

My mind raced. Nathan had sent the photos to the father of the man Rebecca loved. Why?

“He’s burning the ships,” I realized, the horrifying truth dawning on me. “Nathan knows I kicked Douglas out. He knows the cover-up is falling apart. He sent those photos to Arthur to ensure that if he goes down, everyone goes down.”

“Exactly,” Arthur nodded. “Nathan wants to ruin Rebecca’s reputation posthumously with my family, and ensure Douglas faces federal charges. He’s a cornered rat lashing out.”

Douglas looked desperately at Arthur. “Look, Vance, we can handle this quietly. How much do you want? I can write you a check right now. Just walk away.”

Arthur laughed—a dry, humorless sound that echoed off the steel walls. “You think you can buy me, Douglas? I was a federal prosecutor for twenty years. I don’t want your dirty money.”

Arthur raised his cane and pointed it directly at Douglas’s chest.

“I want you to burn.”

Douglas panicked. He shoved past Arthur, knocking the old man against the metal doorframe, and bolted out of the vault into the lobby.

“Douglas, stop!” I yelled, running after him.

But Douglas was already sprinting toward the revolving glass doors. He burst out onto the rainy street, clutching the manila envelope to his chest, and disappeared into the crowd.

Arthur grunted in pain, rubbing his shoulder where he’d hit the frame. I rushed over to help him steady himself.

“Are you alright, Mr. Vance?” I asked anxiously.

“I’m fine, Carol,” Arthur said, waving me off. “Let him run. He only has copies. The original blackmail contract and the blue ledger were moved out of this bank a week ago.”

I stopped. “Moved? By who?”

“By Nathan,” Arthur said grimly. “When Nathan realized Douglas was losing control of the situation, he used his own leverage to force Patricia to grant him access to Box 402. He cleared out the ledger and the original contract to use as his ultimate insurance policy.”

“So Douglas just ran away with useless copies?” I asked.

“Yes. Nathan has the real evidence.” Arthur looked at me intently. “And right now, Nathan is headed to your house.”

Panic seized my throat. “My house? Rebecca and Sophie are there alone!”

“He texted me twenty minutes ago,” Arthur said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “He said he’s going to collect his wife and daughter, and if anyone tries to stop him, he’s releasing the blue ledger to the FBI.”

“I have to go,” I said, sprinting toward the exit.

“Wait!” Arthur called out, tossing me a small, heavy object.

I caught it instinctively. It was a heavy brass key ring holding a single, strange-looking electronic fob.

“What is this?” I asked.

“It’s the master override key to Nathan’s construction firm,” Arthur explained quickly. “I called in a few favors this morning. If Nathan has the blue ledger, it’s locked in his office safe. We need that ledger to prove his extortion and protect Rebecca.”

“But Nathan is going to my house!” I panicked.

“You go to your house and protect your daughter,” Arthur ordered, his eyes fierce. “I will go to Nathan’s office and find the ledger. We trap him from both sides.”

I nodded, gripping the electronic fob tightly. “Thank you, Arthur.”

I sprinted out of the bank and into the freezing rain. I jumped into my car, tires squealing against the wet asphalt as I sped toward the suburbs.

I dialed my home phone number through the car’s bluetooth.

It rang four times before the answering machine picked up.

“Rebecca, pick up!” I screamed at the dashboard. “Pick up the phone!”

Silence.

I pushed the gas pedal harder, running a yellow light. I was ten minutes away.

My phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call. The caller ID flashed: HOME.

“Rebecca?!” I shouted, answering the call.

“Nana?” a small, trembling voice whispered through the speakers.

“Sophie, baby, where is your mom?” I asked, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Nana, please come home,” Sophie cried softly. “Daddy is here. And he’s hurting Mommy again.”

Share