Chapter 5 - THE PERFECT LIE
Two detectives entered the office.
Behind them walked Grant.
His left cheek was still red.
He had changed into a dark blue suit and placed a small bandage near his jaw, making the three slaps look like a brutal attack.
Margaret followed him.
She wore a black coat and an expression of wounded dignity.
“There she is,” Grant said.
Hannah moved behind Catherine.
Grant softened his voice.
“Sweetheart, you’re confused. Your mother assaulted us and forced you into her car.”
“You watched your mother hurt me.”
One detective looked at Hannah’s swollen cheek.
“Ma’am, did Margaret Holloway cause those injuries?”
Before Hannah could answer, Grant held up a medical document.
“My wife has a history of emotional instability.”
Hannah stared at the paper.
“That’s not real.”
“It was signed by your psychiatrist.”
“I don’t have a psychiatrist.”
Margaret shook her head sadly.
“This is exactly what we’ve been dealing with.”
I understood the strategy.
They were not trying to prove the truth.
They were trying to bury it beneath paperwork.
Catherine stood.
“I’m Catherine Reynolds. Before these officers take anyone anywhere, they will review the evidence on this computer.”
Grant’s eyes flicked toward the screen.
Only once.
But I saw it.
Fear.
One detective stepped forward.
“Mrs. Carter, we need you to come with us.”
“On what charge?”
“Assault, unlawful entry, and possible kidnapping.”
“Hannah is thirty years old.”
“Mr. Holloway claims she lacks the capacity to make independent decisions.”
Hannah’s face went white.
Grant had not only forged financial documents.
He had been preparing to have her declared legally incompetent.
Catherine turned to the detectives.
“You should know that this office is under federal legal privilege and contains evidence of ongoing financial crimes.”
The older detective hesitated.
The younger one did not.
He reached for my arm.
Daniel stepped between us.
Then Catherine said quietly,
“Detective Mason, before you touch her, you may want to check who deposited forty thousand dollars into your brother’s account yesterday.”
The room went still.
The younger detective froze.
Grant’s face hardened.
Catherine pressed a button beneath the table.
The doors locked.
May you like
And hidden cameras began recording everything.
:::
