Chapter 2 - The Envelope Hidden Behind the Frame
Sarah stared at the handwriting on the paper.
The ink was fresh.
The date was clearly written in blue ballpoint.
“I am hiding at the old mill.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat.
Her sister-in-law was alive.
The front door unlocked from the outside.
Marcus Vance stepped into the foyer.
He held a spare key in his hand.
His dark eyes swept across the living room.
“Where is your husband, Sarah?”
Sarah placed the locket into her pocket.
She stepped in front of Toby.
“How did you get a key to my house?”
Marcus smiled coldly.
He adjusted his leather gloves.
“Julian sold me this key three days ago.”
Sarah’s heart sank into her stomach.
“You’re lying.”
“Check your bank account, Sarah.”
Marcus threw an envelope onto the entry table.
Sarah opened the paper inside.
It showed a wire transfer of fifty thousand dollars.
The money came from Marcus Vance.
The recipient was Julian’s private account.
The memo line read: Final payment for the boy.
Sarah felt nauseous.
Her husband had taken money from Marcus.
“Julian wouldn't sell our son.”
“He isn't your son,” Marcus replied quietly.
“He is my biological heir.”
Toby hugged Sarah from behind.
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
Marcus pulled a legal document from his coat.
“I have full legal custody, Sarah.”
“The courts signed off this morning.”
“Julian surrendered all parental rights yesterday.”
Sarah felt her legs turn to water.
Every memory of Julian’s kindness shattered.
The late nights at the office.
The sudden financial stress.
The quiet phone calls in the garage.
It was all connected.
“Get out of my house,” Sarah said.
Marcus took a step forward.
“I am taking the boy now.”
Sarah picked up a heavy brass lamp from the table.
“Touch him and I will scream.”
Marcus paused.
He looked out the front window.
A police cruiser pulled into the street.
The red and blue lights flashed against the walls.
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
“Julian called them to distract me.”
He pointed a finger at Sarah.
“This isn't over.”
Marcus turned around and walked out the door.
Two officers ran up the driveway.
Sarah ran to the front porch.
“Help us!” she cried out.
The lead officer stopped at the steps.
“Mrs. Vance, we received a tip.”
“A tip about what?”
“Your husband turned himself in ten minutes ago.”
Sarah gasped.
“He surrendered at the station?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“He confessed to hiding a fugitive.”
The officer looked down at his clipboard.
“He says Clara Vance is alive.”
“And he claims you helped hide her.”
Sarah stood frozen.
Julian had framed her.
He took the money from Marcus.
Then he blamed Clara’s survival on Sarah.
The officer pulled out pair of handcuffs.
“Sarah Vance, you are under arrest.”
Toby screamed in terror.
“No! Don't take my mommy!”
The second officer gently pulled Toby away.
“We have a court order for the boy’s care.”
“He goes to Judge Vance immediately.”
Sarah struggled as the cuffs snapped shut.
“Look at the locket!” Sarah screamed.
“The locket has the truth!”
The officer ignored her pleas.
They led Sarah down the concrete steps.
She looked back at her home.
Marcus was loading Toby into the black sedan.
Toby pressed his face against the window glass.
He was crying uncontrollably.
Sarah was thrown into the back of the cruiser.
The door slammed shut.
Darkness settled over the back seat.
Twenty minutes later, Sarah sat in an interrogation room.
Detective Miller sat across from her.
He placed a thick folder on the table.
“Your husband gave a detailed statement, Sarah.”
“He lied to you,” Sarah said desperately.
“He took fifty thousand dollars from Marcus!”
Detective Miller opened the folder.
“We found the cash in your closet, Sarah.”
Sarah stared at the photo of the money.
Julian had planted it in her wardrobe.
“I didn't know it was there!”
“Your fingerprints are on the box, Sarah.”
Sarah remembered touching the lockbox earlier.
She had fallen directly into Julian’s trap.
Detective Miller leaned forward.
“Where is Clara hiding?”
“I don't know!”
“The note in the locket says the old mill.”
The detective smiled grimly.
“We checked the old mill an hour ago.”
“We found Clara’s tire tracks.”
“And we found your car parked inside the barn.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
Julian had driven her spare car there.
He had built an airtight case against her.
She had lost her husband’s trust.
She had lost her freedom.
And Marcus had her son.
Detective Miller stood up to leave.
“You’re going to trial, Sarah.”
The heavy steel door locked behind him.
Sarah put her head on the metal table.
She pulled her hands into her lap.
Her finger caught on a loose piece of lining in her coat.
It was a small USB drive.
Julian had slipped it into her pocket during his exit.
A small piece of tape was attached to it.
May you like
On the tape, Julian had written three words.
Trust the video.
