Chapter 6 - The Confrontation at the GatesI slipped out of the study just as the heavy front doors of the mansion opened downstairs. I could hear Beckett’s voice echoing in the foyer, sharp and irritated.
"I don't care how long it takes, Sheriff," Beckett was saying. "We need to find her before she contacts anyone outside this county. My father’s campaign donations won't protect us if the state bureau gets involved."
"Don't worry, Beckett," Sheriff Thomas replied, his voice gruff and confident. "My deputies have the roads blocked. If she’s in this town, we’ll find her."
I moved silently down the service stairs at the back of the house, slipping out through the kitchen door before the security guards could realize I had gone. I walked down the long driveway, my heart hammering against my ribs, but my face remained a mask of calm determination.
I slipped through the side gate just as the security guard walked out of his booth, his mouth full of cherry pie.
"Find your purse, Mrs. Vale?" he called out.
"Yes, dear! Thank you so much," I waved back, picking up my pace as I headed down the snowy road toward my car.
I returned to my house, locking the door behind me. Claire was waiting in the kitchen, her face pale with worry.
"Did you get it?" she gasped.
I pulled the black leather ledger and the encrypted flash drive from my pocket, laying them on the table. "I got everything. And I heard Beckett talking to the sheriff. They are locking down the roads. They are terrified of the state authorities getting involved."
"What do we do now?"
"We give them exactly what they are afraid of," I said, a cold smile touching my lips.
I plugged the flash drive into my computer, running a decryption program Richard's team had provided. Within minutes, the files opened, revealing a massive database of bribes, illegal contracts, and offshore transactions.
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I compiled the data into a single, comprehensive report and hit send, routing the files directly to the federal financial-crimes unit and the Attorney General’s private email.
"The trap is set, Claire," I said, looking out the window as the first shadows of evening began to stretch across the snow. "Tomorrow morning, the Hales will realize that their kingdom is built on sand."
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