Chapter 4 - The False Accusation
I stare at the police officers in absolute disbelief. "Attempted murder?" I repeat, my voice cracking. The taller officer pulls out a pair of steel handcuffs. "We have a witness who says you intentionally ran Claire's car off the road." "I was the one who was hit!" I scream, pointing to my crushed leg. Grandpa steps between me and the officers, his eyes flashing with authority. "My granddaughter is a victim of a hit-and-run orchestrated by Marcus Vance." The second officer shakes his head. "Claire is currently in the ER downstairs with severe whiplash, and she filed a formal statement." My mother had planned this entirely. She sent Marcus to crash into me, but she made Claire report it first as the victim. They are trying to put me in prison so Marcus can easily take custody of Lily. And with me in jail, my mother would gain control of my estate. "You cannot arrest a woman who just had major surgery," Grandpa growls. He pulls out his phone and calls the chief of police, a man he has known for forty years. The officers hesitate as Grandpa speaks fiercely into the receiver. Suddenly, a nurse rushes into the room, looking utterly panicked. "We have a massive problem down in the emergency room!" she yells. Claire has just vanished from her hospital bed. And she took the master keycard to the maternity ward with her.
