Chapter 10 - The Reckoning
"I didn't start the fire, he did!" I screamed, struggling against the heavy grip of the police officers.
The officers ignored my pleas and began dragging me toward the back of their patrol car.
Suddenly, a sleek black sedan screeched to a halt on the lawn, and Evelyn jumped out, waving the black binder in the air.
"Stop!" Evelyn yelled at the top of her lungs, flashing her credentials as a licensed private investigator.
She ran straight to the police captain and shoved the stolen documents into his chest.
"That woman is innocent, and these documents prove Margaret Vance has a financial motive and a history of insurance fraud," Evelyn declared loudly.
The captain scanned the papers, his expression shifting from annoyance to utter shock.
Daniel's confident facade completely shattered when he saw his estranged sister holding the one thing that could destroy them.
He panicked, dropping his fake innocent act, and tried to run toward the treeline in the dark.
Two officers immediately tackled him to the ground, reading him his rights as he sobbed pathetically.
Margaret tried to sneak away through the side gate, but Evelyn firmly blocked her path with a look of pure vengeance.
The police arrested both of them on the spot, dragging them away in handcuffs while they screamed curses at each other.
The fire department managed to put out the blaze before it destroyed the upper floors.
The police unlocked my handcuffs and softly apologized for the misunderstanding.
I ran forward and wrapped my arms around Lily, who had woken up and was crying for me.
"I've got you, baby, you are safe now," I whispered, holding her tighter than I ever had before.
Months later, Daniel and Margaret were both sentenced to decades in federal prison for fraud, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
I was granted full, sole custody of Lily, and we moved to a beautiful new house in a quiet, sunny neighborhood.
Everything was finally peaceful.
I tucked Lily into her warm bed, kissing her forehead gently as she drifted off to sleep.
Lily smiled sleepily and whispered, "Grandma told me her special friend is coming to finish the job."
My blood ran completely cold as I slowly turned my head to look out the bedroom window.
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A heavily tinted black SUV was idling silently directly across the street from our new house.
The driver's side window slowly rolled down, revealing the glowing red tip of a lit cigarette in the dark.
