Chapter 2 - The Ghost in the RegisterDetective Miller stared at my federal credentials, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. The state fraud investigator let out a whistle through his teeth.

“You’re with the Inspector General’s office?” Miller asked, reassessing me from head to toe.

“Eight years,” I replied, my voice dropping into the flat, clinical tone I used when preparing federal RICO indictments. “I specialize in shell-company tracing and asset-seizure fraud. I didn't investigate Marcus Voss before marrying him because I was off the clock, grieving my father, and foolishly wanted to believe I had found someone genuine. But now that I know what he is, I’m not just going to divorce him, Detective. I’m going to strip his operation down to the bare floorboards.”

Helen Price gestured to the open file. “According to our cross-agency database, Marcus and Cecilia Voss operate like a two-person syndicate. Cecilia poses as his mother, aunt, or wealthy benefactor depending on the mark. They find women with unencumbered real estate or liquid inheritance, execute a fake marriage, secure full power of attorney under the guise of 'asset protection,' and transfer the deeds into a Nevada holding company within seventy-two hours.”

“What happened to the previous three women?” I asked.

“One went bankrupt trying to fight them in civil court,” the state investigator said. “One was coerced into a quiet settlement for pennies on the dollar. The third... she suffered a sudden, fatal 'accidental' fall down a flight of stairs two days after signing over her home. The insurance payout cleared three million dollars directly to Cecilia Voss.”

A cold, sharp anger ignited in my chest. This wasn't just corporate fraud. These were predators who bled women dry and stepped over their bodies without blinking.

“The envelope Adrian left on my nightstand,” I said, calculating the legal chess pieces in my mind. “It contains a quitclaim deed transferring my father’s five coastal properties to 'Bennett Global Holdings.' If I go back there right now, pretend I know nothing, and let him walk me into signing it while your team records the transaction, can you hit him with felony wire fraud, grand larceny, and bigamy?”

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“It’s risky,” Detective Miller warned. “If they suspect for a second that you know, they won't hesitate to eliminate the threat. Marcus Voss has a history of violent outbursts when backed into a corner.”

“He thinks I’m a timid accountant who cries when people raise their voices,” I said, pulling my car keys from my pocket. “Let’s give him the performance of his life.”