Chapter 2 - The Setup
The cold steel of the handcuffs bit harshly into my wrists.
I stared at the detective in absolute disbelief.
"There has to be a mistake," I said.
"We have a paper trail tying your personal signature to the stolen funds," the detective replied.
I whipped my head around to look at Ethan.
He wasn't looking at me.
He was looking at Margaret, whose terrified expression had suddenly morphed back into that chilling, satisfied smile.
She had set me up.
She knew about Ethan's theft and had masterminded a way to frame me for all of it.
The lake house loan was never about getting my property.
It was about acquiring my final signature to authorize the transfer of the stolen money into an account in my name.
Ethan’s slap wasn't just an act of anger.
It was a calculated distraction to keep me disoriented while the police arrived.
As the officers dragged me toward the door, the family watched in stunned silence.
Only Sophie, Ethan’s younger sister, dared to move.
She rushed forward, pretending to trip over the edge of the expensive Persian rug.
She collided with me hard, her hands grasping my coat to steady herself.
"I am so sorry," she cried out loudly for the room to hear.
But as she pulled away, I felt a heavy, metallic object slide deep into my coat pocket.
The officers shoved me outside into the freezing night air.
They pushed me into the back of a waiting squad car.
The heavy doors slammed shut, trapping me in the dark interior.
I shifted my bound hands awkwardly toward my pocket.
My trembling fingers traced the cold ridges of a heavy brass key.
Wrapped around the key was a tiny, crumpled piece of paper.
I managed to unfold it in the dim glow of the streetlights.
May you like
The note was written in Sophie's hurried handwriting.
It simply read: "This unlocks the safety deposit box at First National, but you only have until midnight before they kill Arthur."
