Chapter 2 - The Setup
The cold metal of the handcuffs bit into my wrists.
I stared at Detective Miller in total disbelief.
I told him I was the one who submitted the evidence to his division.
He pulled out a printed document from his inner pocket and held it up for me to see.
It was an authorization form transferring five million dollars into Brenda's offshore shell company.
The signature at the bottom was mine.
It was not a forgery.
It was a perfectly executed digital signature from my secure personal IP address.
Brenda let out a dramatic gasp and covered her mouth with her hands.
She cried out that she could not believe her own daughter-in-law would steal from their family business.
Connor immediately caught on to her performance.
He told the detective that I had been acting unstable for months and must have framed him to cover my tracks.
The investors shook their heads in disgust as they looked at me.
I realized then just how deep their trap truly went.
They had not just stolen my money and my house.
They had spent the last six months planting digital evidence to ensure I would take the fall if they were ever caught.
The police officers marched Connor and me out through the main dining room.
Dozens of diners held up their phones to record my ultimate humiliation.
They loaded us into separate squad cars.
I sat in the back of the cruiser trying to control my panic.
I needed to reach my father's old business partner, Marcus.
Marcus was the only forensic accountant brilliant enough to untangle this mess.
The police car pulled into the precinct and the officers escorted me to an interrogation room.
I sat alone in the windowless room for three agonizing hours.
Finally, the metal door clicked open.
It was not a detective.
It was Brenda, holding a pristine leather briefcase and accompanied by a high-powered defense attorney.
May you like
She smiled and sat across from me.
She whispered that she owned the judge, the prosecuting attorney, and half the precinct.
