Chapter 7 - Cornered Beasts
With Evan locked behind bars and Raymond’s business seized by federal authorities, the Vance family turned desperate.
At 11:30 PM that evening, the silent perimeter security system at Claire’s estate alerted my phone. Someone was cutting through the rear wrought-iron fence near the garden arbor.
I watched the live infrared video feed on my tablet from the home study.
It was Raymond and Paige, carrying black duffel bags and a pair of bolt cutters, trying to sneak into the house through the basement storm doors. They were looking for the backup hard drives and jewelry boxes they had left behind when the eviction order took effect.
“They never learn, do they?” I murmured to Detective Miller, who was sitting across from me drinking a cup of black coffee.
“Greedy people never do,” Miller replied, putting his cap on and adjusting his sidearm belt. “They always think there’s one more door they can break down.”
We walked down to the basement entrance in silence.
When Raymond managed to pry open the storm door with a crowbar and stepped into the dimly lit cellar, he froze.
The overhead fluorescent lights suddenly clicked on, blinding him.
Standing ten feet away were four armed police officers, Detective Miller, and me, leaning comfortably on my cane.
Paige let out a sharp squeal, dropping her duffel bag onto the concrete floor. Inside the open bag, dozens of stolen silver antique items and Claire’s grandmother’s diamond ring tumbled out onto the floor.
“Raymond Vance,” Detective Miller said, pulling out his handcuffs. “Breaking and entering, trespassing, grand theft, and tampering with evidence at a active crime scene.”
Raymond dropped the crowbar, his shoulders collapsing as he fell to his knees in the dirt.
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“Arthur... please,” Raymond whimpered, looking up at me with hollow, defeated eyes. “We have nothing left. You’ve taken everything.”
“I didn’t take anything from you, Raymond,” I said softly, looking down at him. “You traded your family’s honor, your freedom, and your future for a life built on someone else’s pain. Now you’re just paying the bill.”
