Chapter 8 - The Sting
The next week was a blur of police stations,
lawyers' offices,
and long nights of forensic accounting.
I worked the numbers like a surgeon,
tracing the flow of Daniel’s stolen life.
We found that Marissa hadn't quite disappeared.
She was staying at a high-end hotel in the city,
registered under her maiden name,
and she was still using a credit card that was linked to Daniel’s secondary account.
She was arrogant enough to think he wouldn't check.
"We have her,"
the detective told us,
flipping through my spreadsheets.
"This accounting is incredible,
Ma'am."
"You've done half our work for us."
"I want her to know it was me,"
I said,
my voice cold.
"I want her to know that the 'pathetic old woman' is the one who took her down."
We set a trap.
We didn't cancel the credit card.
Instead,
we waited for her to make a large purchase.
Two days later,
the alert came through.
She was at a luxury jewelry store,
trying to buy a watch worth twenty thousand dollars.
The police were waiting at the entrance.
I insisted on being there when they brought her out.
I stood on the sidewalk as the officers led her toward the patrol car,
her hands cuffed behind her back.
She looked disheveled,
her expensive clothes wrinkled and her face pale with shock.
When she saw me,
her eyes filled with a primal,
vicious hatred.
"You!"
she screamed,
struggling against the officers.
"You ruined everything!"
I walked up to her,
stopping just a foot away.
"No,
Marissa,"
I said,
my voice calm and clear.
"You ruined everything when you tried to take my house."
"You thought I was weak because I was kind."
"But you forgot that I’ve spent forty years balancing books."
"And I always make sure the accounts are settled."
"Daniel is filing for divorce today,"
I added.
"And the FBI has already picked up Victor in Vegas."
"You're going to have a lot of time to think about 'what you're worth' in a jail cell."
She spat at me,
but I didn't flinch.
I just watched as they shoved her into the back of the car.
The door slammed,
and the sirens began to wail.
I stood on the sidewalk,
feeling the weight of the last three days finally begin to lift.
The debt wasn't gone,
and the hurt would take a long time to heal.
But the truth was out,
and the predators were in cages.
I got into my car and drove back to the house,
the house that Robert had paid for with his life’s work.
It was still standing.
May you like
It was still mine.
And it was finally safe.
