Chapter 5 - The Sinking WebBy Wednesday afternoon, the financial shockwaves of the audit had paralyzed Victor's entire network.
His primary construction site—a forty-million-dollar luxury high-rise in downtown Seattle—had been officially shut down by the state building inspectors after we delivered proof of structural bribery and sub-standard materials. The workers had walked off the job, their union representatives demanding immediate payment from frozen accounts.
I stood on the observation deck overlooking the empty construction site, my hands in my pockets, the cold wind whipping my coat. Beside me stood Detective Ramirez.
"His allies are vanishing, Adrian," Ramirez said, holding a fresh stack of legal documents. "The city council members who took his campaign donations are publicly distancing themselves. Two of his executive partners just signed cooperation agreements with the federal prosecutor to escape indictment."
"They are rats, Ramirez," I said, not taking my eyes off the silent cranes. "They only follow the cheese. The moment the trap snaps shut, they’ll chew each other to pieces to survive."
"We've also secured the warrant for his mother, Judith," Ramirez continued. "We found her signature on the offshore bank accounts in the Caymans. She was the one managing the money-laundering funnel."
"Judith is the architect of his arrogance," I said. "She raised him to believe that people of our class were disposable, that we existed only to fund their luxury. She deserves to share his cell."
My phone buzzed with an alert from the hospital security team.
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Mr. Adrian. Elena is being discharged. She is safe and returning to the secure residence under tactical escort.
"Let's go, Ramirez," I said, turning back toward my car. "The stage is set for the final act. I want Victor to watch his mother walk into the courtroom in chains before we read his sentence."
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