Chapter 5 - The Bank Vault
The tiny hidden speaker on Marcus’s tie clip played back crystal-clear audio of my father’s confession.
I breathed a massive sigh of relief, feeling a spark of hope return.
“We have him,” I whispered excitedly.
“We have the proof that he stole the ledger and orchestrated the fraud.”
Marcus shook his head grimly as he carefully pocketed the device.
“This audio proves he is a criminal, but it does not magically return the house to your name today.”
“We still need the physical ledger to completely nullify the judge’s eviction order.”
“But he has the ledger inside the house right now!” I argued.
Before Marcus could answer, his smartwatch vibrated with an urgent alert.
He tapped the screen and read the encrypted message.
“Clare, my private investigator just flagged a massive wire transfer from your father’s bank account.”
“He just rented a high-security safe deposit box at the First National Bank downtown.”
I wiped the dirt off my jeans and stood up quickly.
“He isn't going to burn the ledger at all.”
“He is going to hide it in a bank vault so he can use it to blackmail the rest of the family later.”
Marcus nodded in agreement.
“Your father is greedy, and greedy men never destroy valuable leverage.”
“We need to get to that bank before he deposits the book.”
We sprinted to the black sedan parked down the street and jumped inside.
Marcus sped through the suburban streets, breaking several speed limits to reach downtown.
“How are we supposed to stop him from putting it in a secure vault?” I asked.
“We cannot legally search his private deposit box without a federal warrant.”
Marcus tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“The box isn't registered in your father's name.”
“My investigator found out he registered it under a proxy to avoid a direct paper trail.”
“Who is the proxy?” I demanded.
“It is registered to David Miller,” Marcus revealed.
My jaw dropped in absolute shock.
David Miller was Julia’s ex-husband, a man who absolutely despised my sister and my parents.
“Why would my father use David?” I asked, completely confused.
“Because David still works as the branch manager at that exact bank,” Marcus explained.
“Your father likely bribed him to bypass the standard security protocols.”
We pulled up to the massive glass doors of the First National Bank.
I rushed inside, scanning the busy lobby for David.
I spotted him standing near the vault entrance, looking incredibly nervous.
I marched straight up to him, completely ignoring the line of waiting customers.
“David, we need to talk right now,” I demanded.
David jumped, his face turning pale when he recognized me.
“Clare, you shouldn't be here,” he whispered frantically.
“Your father is already inside the private viewing room with the box.”
“You have to let me in there,” I pleaded.
“If you help my father hide stolen evidence, you will go to federal prison for conspiracy.”
David looked wildly around the lobby, sweating profusely.
“I hate your family, Clare, but your father promised me fifty thousand dollars to look the other way.”
“I am drowning in debt from the divorce, and I need that money.”
I grabbed his arm tightly, looking directly into his terrified eyes.
“David, if you open that door for me right now, I will personally pay you double.”
David hesitated for one agonizing second before pulling a heavy ring of master keys from his belt.
He led us down the quiet corridor and quietly unlocked the heavy wooden door to the viewing room.
May you like
I pushed the door open, ready to confront my father and snatch the ledger.
But the room was completely empty, and the heavy metal lockbox was sitting wide open on the table.
