Chapter 9 - The Confession
"He confessed?" I repeated, staring at Isabella in disbelief.
"That does not make any sense," Isabella said, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
"If Julian confesses to the financial fraud, the feds will put him in protective custody."
"The cartel will not be able to touch him."
"It is a calculated survival tactic," I realized with mounting dread.
"Celeste must have tipped him off that we escaped the crypt with the ledger."
He knew the cartel would torture him to death for stealing their money.
Federal prison was the safest place on earth for him right now.
"Where is the safe house, Evelyn?" I asked into the phone.
"I am texting you the coordinates now," my attorney replied quickly.
"Do not trust anyone else."
"Agent Miller was found dead in his apartment an hour ago."
"Julian is cleaning house."
The line disconnected, and a map location popped up on my screen.
It was an abandoned warehouse district near the docks.
"Turn around," I told Isabella.
"We cannot let him get federal protection."
"We have to get the original physical ledger to the authorities before he cuts an immunity deal."
Isabella slammed on the brakes and spun the car around, tires smoking on the asphalt.
We sped through the empty city streets, arriving at the desolate warehouse district just before dawn.
Heavy fog rolled off the ocean, obscuring the derelict buildings.
We pulled up to a heavily fortified steel building surrounded by federal vehicles.
I grabbed the ledger, and we ran toward the entrance.
Evelyn was waiting for us at the heavily guarded door.
She hugged me tightly, looking completely exhausted.
"You have the physical book?" she asked, eyeing the leather cover in my hands.
"Yes," I nodded.
"This proves Julian is an imposter and that Celeste orchestrated the entire operation."
Evelyn led us inside, bypassing the standard security checks.
"The director is waiting for this in the basement interrogation room," Evelyn explained.
We walked down a long flight of concrete stairs into a heavily soundproofed corridor.
At the end of the hall, Julian was sitting calmly at a metal table behind a wall of reinforced glass.
He did not look like a man whose empire was crumbling.
He looked perfectly relaxed, sipping a cup of black coffee.
He looked up and saw me through the glass.
He smiled, raising his coffee cup in a mocking toast.
"He looks too confident," Isabella whispered, her hand hovering over her concealed weapon.
Evelyn stopped in front of the heavy steel door leading to the observation room.
"Give me the ledger, Clara," Evelyn said, holding out her hand.
"I need to log it into evidence before you speak to the director."
I handed her the heavy book, feeling a wave of immense relief wash over me.
It was finally over.
I had survived the wedding, uncovered the truth, and secured the evidence.
Evelyn took the book, walked to a nearby incinerator chute in the wall, and casually dropped the ledger inside.
The sound of roaring flames instantly consumed the only physical evidence we had.
I stared in absolute horror as Evelyn turned around and pulled a silenced pistol from her blazer.
She aimed it directly at Isabella's chest.
"I told you, Clara," Evelyn smiled warmly.
May you like
"Julian pays much better than the federal government."
Isabella lunged forward to shield me just as Evelyn pulled the trigger.
