Chapter 7 - The Ghost of the Past
I stood frozen on the side of the deserted mountain highway, completely paralyzed by Marcus's shocking revelation.
Grace had never mentioned hiring a private investigator, nor had she ever hinted at feeling threatened before her sudden death.
Marcus gestured quickly toward an unmarked black SUV idling quietly on the shoulder of the road.
We jumped into the vehicle, and Marcus immediately sped away, leaving the hijacked police transport truck completely abandoned in the dirt.
As we drove down the twisting roads, Marcus explained the horrifying truth that had been buried for years.
Grace had secretly suspected that Doctor Colin Vance was aggressively overprescribing experimental medications to her.
She had hired Marcus to investigate the doctor's hidden financial background and shady pharmaceutical connections.
"Grace discovered that Colin was deeply in debt to a violent overseas cartel, and he desperately needed a massive infusion of cash," Marcus explained grimly.
"He knew about the incredibly valuable Coronado beach house, and he orchestrated her death to trigger the inheritance," I realized aloud.
Marcus nodded slowly, his eyes continuously scanning the rearview mirror for any signs of police pursuit.
"But Grace was entirely too smart for him, Ethan, which is exactly why she secretly placed the beach house into an ironclad trust for Nora."
Colin's original murderous plan had completely failed because he could not legally access the property without controlling the child.
That was precisely why he had hired Vanessa to infiltrate my life, marry me, and systematically drug Nora into a state of severe incompetence.
"Where are they taking my daughter right now?" I demanded, panic rising violently in my throat again.
Marcus pulled a small, incredibly advanced military tracking device from his dark jacket pocket.
He explained that he had secretly planted a micro-tracker on Vanessa's vehicle weeks ago when he first resumed Grace's investigation.
"They are not taking Nora to the police station or a hospital, Ethan."
Marcus pointed a thick finger at a blinking red dot rapidly moving across the digital map on the screen.
"Vanessa managed to convince the corrupt local police to release the child directly into her emergency custody."
The blinking red dot was traveling steadily down the coastal highway, heading straight toward the Coronado beach house.
They were taking Nora to the exact same isolated location where they planned to finally execute their sickening, long-term endgame.
I grabbed Marcus's shoulder, my absolute desperation overriding any sense of personal safety or logic.
"We have to get there before Colin forces her to sign anything or gives her a lethal dose of that poison," I pleaded.
Marcus pressed his foot aggressively onto the gas pedal, the powerful engine roaring as we accelerated toward the coast.
"We are going to burn their entire criminal empire to the ground tonight, Ethan."
Suddenly, Marcus's encrypted dashboard phone beeped loudly, displaying an urgent incoming message from Caleb Price.
May you like
I leaned forward to read the glowing text, and my heart completely stopped in my chest.
"Colin just authorized a massive demolition team to bulldoze the beach house in exactly one hour with Nora trapped inside."
