Chapter 4 - The Tarmac Trap
Jessica was panicking. Thrown out of her five-star resort with nothing but her designer luggage, she had managed to beg a wealthy friend to buy her a one-way economy ticket back to Portland.
She spent the entire flight drinking miniature bottles of vodka, convincing herself that this was just a bureaucratic mix-up. She would land, call her lawyer, fire the bank, and throw Lily into a cheap boarding school so she wouldn't have to deal with the brat anymore.
When the plane landed at Portland International Airport, Jessica practically sprinted off the jet bridge, desperate to get back to the mansion. She didn't even bother putting on shoes after taking her heels off on the flight; she walked barefoot across the terminal carpet.
She reached the baggage claim, expecting her private car service to be waiting.
Instead, four uniformed police officers and Detective Vance were standing by the carousel.
“Jessica Sterling?” Vance asked, his voice booming over the noise of the airport.
“Yes? Who are you?” Jessica snapped, crossing her arms.
“Detective Marcus Vance, Portland Police Bureau,” he said, pulling out a pair of heavy steel handcuffs. “You are under arrest for the attempted murder, severe neglect, and unlawful imprisonment of a minor, as well as multiple counts of federal wire fraud.”
The color completely drained from Jessica’s face. The other passengers stopped and stared.
“Are you insane?!” she shrieked, backing away. “My husband left me everything! Lily is a liar! She probably starved herself for attention!”
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“Tell it to the judge,” Vance said, grabbing her wrists and snapping the cuffs shut. He looked down at her bare feet. “Hope you like the cold floors in county, Jessica.”
She was dragged through the airport, barefoot, screaming, and completely humiliated.
