Chapter 3 - The Interrogation
"Ryan Vance?" Detective Miller asked, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion.
"Where is my wife?!" Ryan shouted, his voice cracking hysterically. "Where is my son?! What happened to them?! Why is there blood all over the nursery floor?!"
"You're asking us what happened?" Marcus stepped forward, his fists clenched tight at his sides. "You left her, Ryan. You stood there while she was hemorrhaging to death and walked out to ski with your frat brothers!"
"Marcus?!" Ryan blinked in shock. "What are you doing here? Did you... did you take them? Are they alive?"
Detective Miller held up his hand, stopping Marcus from stepping closer. "Mr. Vance, your wife was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit three days ago in critical, unstable condition. She underwent three emergency surgeries and required six units of blood transfusion to stay alive."
A wave of relief washed over Ryan, but it was instantly crushed by the detective's next words.
"She survived," Detective Miller continued, "no thanks to you. Your infant son was treated for severe dehydration and cold exposure. He is currently under temporary protective custody."
Ryan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, trying to recover his composure. He immediately tried to smooth down his jacket, putting on his persuasive corporate smile. "Thank God... thank God they're okay! Detective, you don't understand. This was all a massive misunderstanding! Emma was fine when I left! She just had a light post-birth discharge. I had a long-planned business-slash-personal retreat—"
"A business retreat?" Marcus laughed bitterly, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen. He held it up to Detective Miller’s face.
The audio of Ryan’s Aspen video boomed through the foyer: “Here’s to surviving high-maintenance wives! Sometimes you’ve gotta choose yourself. Happy birthday to me!”
Detective Miller looked at the video, then looked back at Ryan. The disgust in the detective's eyes was absolute.
"Mr. Vance," Detective Miller said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "Under Colorado Revised Statutes, we are placing you under arrest for Criminal Negligence Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Reckless Endangerment, and Child Neglect."
"What?!" Ryan shrieked, backing away toward the kitchen. "You can't arrest me! I'm a partner at Vance & Sterling Wealth Management! I didn't stab her! I didn't poison her! I just went on vacation! It's not illegal to go on a birthday trip!"
"It is illegal to abandon a helpless dependent and a dying spouse when you have a legal duty of care," Detective Miller replied sternly. "Step forward and put your hands behind your back."
"Marcus, tell them!" Ryan pleaded, looking at his brother with wide, wild eyes. "Help me out here! We're brothers!"
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"I don't have a brother," Marcus said quietly. "The man standing in front of me died the day he walked past his bleeding wife."
The handcuffs clicked loudly around Ryan's wrists. The shiny Swiss watch lay forgotten on the floor as Ryan was marched out of his mansion in front of all his neighbors, who were already standing on their lawns, taking videos with their phones.
