Chapter 12 - FLORENCE’S TRAP
Victoria’s arrest lasted fourteen minutes.
Then everything went wrong.
As officers escorted her toward the patrol car, Daniel Cross slipped one hand free from a poorly secured restraint and slammed into an officer.
Chaos erupted.
He grabbed Victoria.
They ran toward the service road.
Edward chased them.
“Stop!”
Daniel reached a black SUV hidden near the trees.
Victoria jumped inside.
The engine started.
Mitchell fired at a tire.
Missed.
The SUV tore down the gravel road.
Edward stood breathing hard.
“You had them!”
Mitchell’s expression was furious.
“I know.”
A helicopter search began.
Roadblocks went up.
But the estate bordered thousands of wooded acres.
Victoria knew the property better than Edward had realized.
Florence was returned to the hospital.
This time two officers guarded her door.
Edward sat beside her.
“You moved the assets six months ago?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know whether Victoria had access to your phone.”
Edward sighed.
“Apparently everyone knew my marriage was dangerous except me.”
Florence reached for his hand.
“Edward.”
He looked at her.
“I didn’t know she was dangerous when you married her.”
“I only began suspecting her last year.”
He nodded slowly.
“And the trust?”
“I changed it after I confirmed the Bennett marriage.”
“To charity?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Florence smiled.
“You don’t mind?”
“It’s yours.”
“I thought you might be angry.”
Edward looked at his mother.
“I nearly lost you over money I never needed.”
“I don’t want a dollar of it.”
She squeezed his hand.
“You are your father’s son.”
Edward smiled faintly.
“Dad loved money.”
Florence laughed.
“He loved earning it.”
“Different thing.”
Then Edward became serious.
“What about the heirloom?”
“We’ll find it.”
“What if we don’t?”
“It was metal.”
“The groundskeeper has a detector.”
Edward laughed for the first time in days.
Florence’s expression softened.
Then Julian entered.
He looked troubled.
“We have a bigger problem.”
Edward stood.
“What?”
Julian placed a document on the bed.
“Hale Medical Holdings.”
“The facility?”
“Yes.”
“What about it?”
“The purchase closed.”
“Freeze it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because Victoria structured the ownership through another company.”
Julian pointed at the document.
“The facility legally belongs to forty-one residents.”
Edward frowned.
“That sounds good.”
“It would be.”
“But the residents also signed documents appointing Victoria as financial agent.”
Florence went pale.
Julian continued.
“She now controls their accounts.”
“How much?”
“Collectively?”
He swallowed.
“Nearly thirty-three million dollars.”
Edward stared at him.
“She doesn’t need our vault anymore.”
“No.”
Julian’s phone buzzed.
He read the message.
His face drained.
“What?”
He turned the screen toward Edward.
Security camera footage showed Victoria and Daniel entering the assisted-living facility.
Timestamp:
Two minutes ago.
Edward grabbed his coat.
Mitchell called at the same moment.
“We found them.”
Edward was already running.
“Where?”
“At Hale Medical.”
Mitchell’s voice sharpened.
May you like
“And Edward…”
“There are forty-one elderly people inside.”
