Chapter 5 - The Betrayal
Daniela remained completely frozen on the cold concrete floor of the basement.
She stared blankly at the empty staircase where her husband had just fled.
David had taken the multi-million dollar diamond necklace and abandoned her without a second thought.
I watched her shoulders shake as she finally realized the true nature of the man she had fiercely defended.
She slowly pulled herself up from the floor, wiping the dirt and tears from her ruined makeup.
She stumbled up the stairs and frantically searched the empty living room.
The front door was wide open, letting the freezing night wind blow through the house.
David was entirely gone, taking his borrowed victory and my hidden wealth with him.
I closed the security camera application and opened the tracking software I had installed years ago.
The anniversary pearls Daniela was wearing did not contain a tracker, but the blue velvet box certainly did.
A blinking red dot appeared on the digital map of the city, moving rapidly toward the international airport.
David was trying to flee the country with the stolen diamonds before the mob or the police could catch him.
I dialed the direct cell phone number of Detective Miller, an old friend of Richard's who owed me a favor.
"Eleanor, it is three in the morning," the detective groaned sleepily.
"I need to report a grand larceny and a fleeing suspect heading toward JFK airport," I said briskly.
"Who is the suspect?" he asked, his voice instantly shifting to professional alertness.
"My son-in-law, David Mercer, just stole a documented diamond necklace valued at three million dollars," I explained.
I gave the detective the exact GPS coordinates of the moving velvet box.
"I will have Port Authority intercept his vehicle at the terminal," Miller promised before hanging up.
I walked over to the minibar, poured myself a glass of sparkling water, and sat in the plush armchair.
My phone screen lit up with an incoming call from Daniela.
I watched her name flash on the screen, letting it ring until it finally went to voicemail.
She immediately called back, desperate and completely panicked.
I answered the phone but remained entirely silent.
"Mom? Mom, please tell me you are there!" Daniela sobbed hysterically into the receiver.
"I am here," I said coldly.
"David left me, Mom, he took something from the basement and he just ran away!" she cried.
"I know, Daniela, I watched the entire thing on the security cameras," I replied.
There was a long, suffocating pause on her end of the line.
"You watched them hurt us and you did absolutely nothing?" she whispered in horror.
"You sold my home to a crime boss and told me I was getting old," I reminded her.
"I am so sorry, I had no idea about the mafia, David said it was just a private investor!" she pleaded.
"David is currently being arrested by federal agents at the airport," I informed her smoothly.
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Daniela gasped, a sound of pure devastation escaping her throat.
"The police are coming to the house next, Daniela, and they have a warrant for your arrest for real estate fraud."
