Chapter 9 - The Venue
I drove too fast.
Sabrina sat beside me.
Neither of us spoke.
When we reached the venue, two police cruisers were already there.
Carol had called them before calling me.
Good woman.
We ran inside.
The ballroom looked beautiful.
That made everything worse.
White flowers.
Gold lights.
Round tables.
A wooden arch I had built myself behind the dance floor.
Tomorrow, Sabrina was supposed to stand beneath it and begin a new life.
Tonight, her mother was in the office trying to steal from her.
We found Denise near the bridal room.
Two officers stood beside her.
And next to Denise was Sabrina’s fiancé, Ethan.
His face was pale.
He looked at Sabrina.
“What the hell is going on?”
She stopped walking.
“Ethan—”
“Your mother says Frank froze everything.”
Denise turned toward me.
There was hatred in her eyes.
“You.”
“Me.”
“You called the police?”
“Carol did.”
Denise laughed.
“Of course. Your loyal employee.”
Officer Ruiz stepped between us.
“Keep this civil.”
Denise pointed at me.
“He is destroying our daughter’s wedding.”
Sabrina whispered, “Mom, stop.”
“No. He needs everyone to know he’s in control.”
I looked at Denise.
“You tried to steal cash gifts.”
“They belong to Sabrina.”
“The gifts haven’t even arrived yet.”
She hesitated.
That was interesting.
Carol stepped forward.
“She was trying to open the secure storage cabinet.”
Denise snapped, “Because Sabrina told me to.”
Sabrina stared at her.
“No, I didn’t.”
Silence.
Ethan looked between them.
“What is happening?”
Sabrina’s face crumpled.
“Ethan, I need to tell you something.”
Denise grabbed her arm.
“Not here.”
Sabrina pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.”
Denise froze.
“I said don’t touch me.”
Then Sabrina faced Ethan.
And told him.
Not everything.
But enough.
The fake signatures.
The loans.
Raymond.
The transfers.
Ethan didn’t interrupt.
He just listened.
When she finished, he looked like someone had taken all the air out of him.
“You forged Frank’s name?”
“I thought he knew.”
“But you did it.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
“No.”
Ethan stepped back.
“Jesus Christ.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s not a small secret, Sabrina.”
“I know.”
“You were going to marry me tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“With fraud hanging over you?”
Tears streamed down her face.
“I was scared.”
Ethan rubbed both hands over his face.
Then he looked at me.
“Did you know?”
“Not until yesterday.”
He laughed once.
A broken sound.
Denise interrupted.
“This is ridiculous. Raymond manipulated all of us.”
I turned.
“All of us?”
“Yes.”
“You moved eighty-three thousand dollars before Raymond officially came back.”
Her face changed.
Sabrina looked at her.
“What?”
I pulled out my phone.
“Fourteen months of transfers.”
Sabrina stared at Denise.
“Mom?”
Denise said nothing.
“Mom!”
“I was protecting us.”
“From what?”
“From him.”
She pointed at me.
I almost smiled.
There it was again.
Always me.
Always the villain.
Denise continued.
“He hid assets. He controlled everything.”
“I protected inherited property through a trust.”
“You never told me!”
“Because it wasn’t marital property.”
“You see?” she shouted at Sabrina. “He never trusted us!”
I stepped closer.
“No, Denise. I trusted you enough to give you access to my income for thirty years.”
She opened her mouth.
I raised a hand.
“You were the one stealing it.”
Ethan stared at the floor.
Sabrina looked like she might collapse.
Then Officer Ruiz’s radio crackled.
A voice came through.
“Unit twelve, be advised. We have Raymond Mercer in custody. Search incident produced multiple IDs and financial documents.”
Ruiz responded.
Then looked at me.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“Mr. Mercer had a flight itinerary.”
Sabrina swallowed.
“For where?”
“Costa Rica.”
“When?”
Ruiz looked at the report.
“Tomorrow night.”
Denise suddenly stopped breathing.
May you like
And I knew immediately.
She hadn’t known.
