Chapter 3 - The Secret in the Vault
The next morning, Evelyn, Caleb, and I met at a small, secure office near the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix.
"If we want to strip Derek and Miriam of their influence, we need more than just one incident," Evelyn explained, spreading a series of financial records and property deeds across the table. "Abusers like Miriam don't start at age sixty-five. Cruelty is a habit they refine over decades."
Caleb pulled out a thick folder he had obtained through his private investigator contacts. "I did a deep dive into the Vance family history. Miriam’s first husband—Derek’s father, Arthur Vance—died fifteen years ago under suspicious circumstances."
I frowned. "They said he had a heart attack in his sleep."
"That’s the official story," Caleb said, pulling out an old medical examiner report from 2011. "But three weeks before Arthur died, he visited a local hospital with unexplained chemical burns on his arms and legs. Miriam claimed he had an accident while cleaning the swimming pool. Shortly after his death, Miriam inherited his entire seventy-million-dollar real estate portfolio, bypassing Arthur’s brother completely."
Evelyn leaned forward, tapping her pen against the medical report. "Did Arthur leave a will?"
"He did," Caleb replied. "And guess who drafted it? Charles Montgomery—the same attorney who tried to bribe Paige at the hospital."
I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. "You think Miriam hurt her husband too?"
"I think Miriam Vance is a sociopath who uses physical torture and psychological control to maintain dominance over everyone in her household," Evelyn said firmly. "And I think Derek was raised in that environment until he became her eager accomplice."
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the table. It was a text message from an unknown number.
Attached was a single photograph.
It showed the front of Hailey’s elementary school, with a red circle drawn around the main entrance. Below the photo was a text:
‘Sign the agreement by 5:00 PM, or Hailey’s dismissal today will be very chaotic.’
I stood up so fast my chair tipped backward, crashing onto the floor. "They're at her school!"
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"Caleb, call your contacts!" Evelyn ordered instantly, snapping her laptop shut. "Paige, stay calm. They want you to panic and commit a crime so they can arrest you on the spot!"
"I don't care about their trap!" I screamed, grabbing my car keys. "My daughter is at that school!"
