Chapter 12 - THE MAN INSIDE THE HOUSE
Vincent grabbed me first.
He handed me to Mom.
“Safe room.”
Marco moved toward the stairs.
Vincent stopped him.
“No. He wants us separated.”
Emergency lights came on.
Naomi locked the doors.
Claire stared toward the hallway.
“He's here.”
Mom held me tighter.
“How?”
Vincent looked around his own house.
“Someone helped him.”
That hurt him.
You could see it.
A man does not build walls because he trusts the world.
Vincent had built very thick walls.
Thomas Sterling was inside anyway.
A sound came from the kitchen.
Marco moved.
Vincent followed.
Mom whispered,
“Stay behind me.”
“I always do.”
“That is absolutely not true.”
A crash.
Then shouting.
Vincent slammed someone into a wall.
Marco tackled another man.
A third came through the pantry.
Claire screamed his name.
“Thomas!”
Thomas Sterling looked almost exactly like David.
Older.
Thinner.
Colder.
He raised a gun.
Mom pulled me down.
Vincent stood between us.
Thomas smiled.
“Vincent Kane.”
“Thomas Sterling.”
“Nice house.”
“You won't leave it.”
Mom shouted,
“Police are coming.”
Thomas looked at her.
“Emily Carter.”
His smile changed.
“Ben's wife.”
Mom's whole body shook.
“You killed my husband.”
Thomas shrugged.
“He made an accounting error.”
Vincent lunged.
Thomas fired.
The bullet hit the wall.
Marco tackled him.
The gun slid across the floor.
Claire grabbed it.
Everyone froze.
She pointed it at Thomas.
Her hands trembled.
Thomas smiled.
“You don't have it in you.”
Claire cried.
“You killed Ben.”
“You helped.”
Mom flinched.
Thomas continued.
“You called David. You told us where Ben was.”
Claire's finger tightened.
Vincent said,
“Claire.”
“Shut up.”
“Put the gun down.”
“No.”
Thomas laughed.
“You always were weak.”
Claire screamed.
Then fired.
The bullet hit the floor beside Thomas's head.
He stopped laughing.
Claire dropped the gun.
Police stormed the mansion thirty seconds later.
Thomas was arrested.
David was found alive at Pier 19.
The drive was recovered.
The network began collapsing.
For the first time, it seemed finished.
But Naomi discovered one final problem.
Thomas had transferred nearly every liquid asset from Sterling Holdings.
Offshore.
The restaurants were bankrupt.
Mom stared.
“So the employees still don't get paid.”
Naomi sighed.
“Not from the company.”
Vincent asked,
“Personal assets?”
“David's are frozen.”
“Claire's?”
“Some.”
“Thomas?”
“Hidden.”
Mom looked at the table.
Seventy-seven days.
All this.
And she might still receive nothing.
Vincent walked out.
Mom watched him.
“Where is he going?”
Naomi smiled faintly.
“Knowing Vincent?”
She closed the laptop.
“To make somebody extremely uncomfortable.”
The next morning, every local news station showed the same image.
David Sterling being led into federal court.
Claire behind him.
Thomas separately.
Charges filled the screen.
Fraud.
Identity theft.
Money laundering.
Tax evasion.
Conspiracy.
Attempted murder.
Mom watched quietly.
Then the doorbell rang.
Marco entered carrying an envelope.
“For Emily.”
Mom opened it.
Inside was a cashier's check.
$5,430.30
Exactly.
No more.
No less.
She stared.
“Where did this come from?”
Marco handed her another page.
The money came from Sterling Bistro's former landlord.
The property had been seized years ago after default.
Vincent had purchased the debt that morning.
Then legally redirected proceeds from existing restaurant security deposits to satisfy verified wage claims.
Mom looked up.
“He paid me.”
Marco shook his head.
“No.”
“He made Sterling pay you.”
That mattered.
Mom's eyes filled.
Then Marco handed her another document.
Forty-two unpaid workers.
Every one of them had a check coming.
Mom covered her mouth.
I looked up.
“Does that mean no more purple stars?”
She pulled me into her arms.
“No more purple stars.”
Then Vincent walked into the room.
And Mom did something none of us expected.
She hugged him.
He froze.
Completely.
His arms remained at his sides.
Mom pulled away.
“Sorry.”
Vincent blinked.
“I've been shot at with less warning.”
She laughed.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His expression darkened.
“What?”
He looked at Mom.
“The prosecutor found Ben's original evidence.”
Mom's smile vanished.
“Where?”
May you like
Vincent swallowed.
“Inside your old house.”
