Chapter 5 - The House of Secrets
A heavy brick crashed onto our table, scattering broken glass across the vinyl booth.
Marcus drew his concealed weapon instantly, scanning the dark parking lot for the unseen attacker.
"They tracked your car's GPS, we have to move right now!" Marcus shouted over the chaos.
I grabbed Lumi and shielded her tiny body with my jacket as we rushed out the back exit of the diner.
We scrambled into Marcus’s unmarked, armored SUV and sped away into the freezing, rainy night.
I realized with a sinking heart that running away would simply make me look like a guilty, paranoid fugitive.
If I went to the corrupt local police without concrete, physical evidence, Dr. Vance would easily destroy my credibility.
I needed the physical ledger Maris kept hidden inside the house to prove her true identity and her crimes.
I asked Marcus to take Lumi to a secure safehouse while I returned to the lion's den one final time.
Lumi cried and gripped my shirt fiercely, begging me not to go back to the bad lady.
"I will be back before the sun comes up, my sweet girl, I promise," I swore, kissing her forehead.
Marcus dropped me off two blocks from my house, handing me a spare tactical flashlight and a loaded pistol.
I crept through the muddy backyard and slipped quietly through the unlocked basement window.
I searched every inch of the damp, dark cellar, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
I noticed a hollow space behind the heavy metal water heater that had recently been disturbed.
I pried a loose cinder block away from the foundation, revealing a hidden steel lockbox.
I smashed the cheap padlock with a heavy wrench and flipped the metal lid open.
Inside the box were four different wedding rings, a stack of fake passports, and stolen vials of hospital-grade potassium.
It was the undeniable proof needed to send both Maris and Dr. Vance to federal prison for the rest of their lives.
May you like
Suddenly, a blinding spotlight clicked on from the top of the basement stairs, pinning me in its harsh glare.
"I really hoped the poison would work, Gideon, I hate messy endings," Dr. Vance said calmly from the shadows.
