Chapter 6 - Vanessa’s DesperationVanessa sat in the back of a cheap diner on the outskirts of the city, her hands shaking as she clutched a lukewarm cup of greasy coffee. Her designer clothes looked out of place against the peeling vinyl booths.
"She took everything, Chloe," Vanessa hissed, staring at her sister who sat across from her. "The apartment, the studio lease, the credit cards... they’re all gone. My bank accounts are frozen. I have sixty-two dollars in my purse."
"We need to leave the state," Chloe said, looking nervous. "The lawyers are looking for us. If they trace those bank transfers back to our personal accounts, we're going to jail for grand larceny."
"I am not going to jail!" Vanessa snarled, slamming her hand on the sticky table. "And I am not letting that quiet little mouse win! She thinks she’s so clever with her legal notices and her corporate audits. But she forgot one thing."
"What?" Chloe asked, frowning.
"The police report," Vanessa whispered, a dark, wicked smile returning to her face. "Daniel has a clean record. If I testify that Claire was the one who attacked him, and that she burned herself to frame him, we can ruin her. We can sue her for malicious prosecution and demand a massive settlement to drop the charges."
"Vanessa, that’s perjury," Chloe gasped. "She has medical reports! She has photos!"
"Doctors can be bribed, Chloe," Vanessa said, her eyes shining with manic desperation. "And judges can be swayed. We just need to find a way to get to Daniel before she completely breaks him. He’s weak. He’ll agree to whatever I say if it means saving his skin."
But as Vanessa reached for her phone to call Daniel, the diner’s glass door swung open.
Two detectives in plain clothes walked in, their eyes scanning the booths before locking onto Vanessa and Chloe.
"Vanessa Miller? Chloe Miller?" the lead detective asked, stepping up to their table and pulling out a pair of steel handcuffs.
"Yes?" Vanessa stammered, her heart dropping into her stomach.
"You are under arrest for grand theft, corporate embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit fraud," the detective said, grabbing Vanessa's wrist and clicking the cuffs into place.
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"No! This is a mistake!" Vanessa shrieked, struggling against his grip as the diners turned to stare. "It’s Claire! She’s the one who did this! She framed us!"
"Save it for the judge, lady," the detective said, leading her out into the bright, unforgiving Seattle rain.
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