Chapter 4 - The Final Audit
My father jumped to his feet, his chair screeching violently against the floor. The color drained completely from his face, leaving him looking pale and terrifyingly old.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, pointing a shaking finger at Ortiz. "My wife just burned to death! My daughter is recovering from severe trauma! I am calling my attorneys!"
"You'll need them," I said.
My voice wasn't weak anymore. The raspy fragility I had faked for a week vanished, replaced by the cold, calculated tone of an auditor who had just found the missing zeros. I dropped my cane. I didn't need it.
My father stared at me, his eyes wide, finally recognizing the trap closing around him. "You..."
"I didn't lose my memory, Dad," I said, stepping toward him, my gaze locking onto his terrified eyes. "I remember the flames. I remember the back door being deadbolted from the outside. And I remember the flash drive Mom gave me two weeks ago."
I reached into my pocket and tossed the small, silver drive onto the table. It landed with a sharp clack that echoed in the silent room.
"Fifteen million dollars embezzled from your own clients," I stated, watching him slowly suffocate under the weight of his own crimes. "You routed it through three shell companies in the Caymans, but you got sloppy with the wire transfers. When the audit notice came, you panicked. Mom's eight-million-dollar policy was exactly what you needed to cover the margins before the feds looked at your books."
"You're insane," he hissed, his aristocratic charm shattering into absolute desperation. He looked at the FBI agent. "She's hysterical! The smoke inhalation caused brain damage!"
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"Actually, Mr. Hale," Agent Vance said, opening the manila folder and tossing a stack of printed spreadsheets onto the table. "Her math is flawless. We've already frozen your accounts, and your firm’s partners have been notified. You are completely bankrupt."
Detective Ortiz stepped forward, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from her belt. "Arthur Hale, you are under arrest for the murder of your wife, the attempted murder of your daughter, and first-degree arson. Hands behind your back."
