Chapter 7: The Trap Closes
Jeremy snatched the fifth envelope.
“This is private property.”
Florence caught one side of it.
“It has my name on it.”
Jeremy pulled harder, tearing the paper.
Photocopies scattered across the aisle.
Ray bent down and lifted one.
“This is a credit application in Florence’s name.”
“I never applied for that,” Florence said.
Another guest picked up a page.
“I’m an accountant,” he said.
“This income statement has been altered.”
Jeremy pointed toward the doors.
“No one leaves.
Anyone sharing those papers will hear from my lawyer.”
The accountant handed the page to Florence.
“You should call your lawyer first.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Jeremy looked toward the windows.
“You called the police?” he asked Elaine.
“I called them before I entered.”
He lowered his voice.
“Mom, I can still protect you.
Tell them Ray planted the box.”
Elaine shook her head.
“I lied for you once.
Lydia paid for it.”
“I’ll give you half the trust money.”
“You offered your own mother money you took from Florence?”
Jeremy’s jaw tightened.
“You’ll have nothing when I’m finished with you.”
Elaine reached for Lydia’s hand.
“I already had nothing worth keeping while I protected you.”
Two officers entered with Detective Alvarez from the financial investigations unit.
Karen Wells followed behind them carrying a laptop.
Jeremy stepped toward her.
“This is a family dispute.”
Karen opened the laptop on the signing table.
“No, Mr.
Hale.
This is an unauthorized transfer involving forged approval.”
“You told them the money was gone,” I said.
“It left the trust account,” Karen replied.
“But Florence contacted us yesterday and asked us to flag any transfer.”
Jeremy stared at Florence.
“You called the bank?”
“I found Lydia’s photograph beside a copy of my trust statement.
I didn’t know what you planned, but I knew you were lying.”
Karen turned the screen toward him.
“The money entered the Elaine Hale account at 4:01.
We froze it at 4:02.”
Jeremy’s face emptied.
Florence removed the ring from my palm and placed it on the table between them.
“You chose me because you thought trusting you made me weak.”
“You set me up.”
“I protected what my grandmother left me.”
Detective Alvarez picked up one of the applications.
“Mr.
Hale, I need your phones and identification.”
“I’m not giving you anything without a warrant.”
“We have one.”
Jeremy pulled his current phone from his pocket.
Instead of surrendering it, he ran toward the side exit.
Ray moved aside.
One of the officers intercepted Jeremy before he reached the door.
“Get off me!” Jeremy shouted.
“Florence, tell them this is a misunderstanding!”
She stood beside Lydia.
“No.”
The officer removed the phone from Jeremy’s hand.
Detective Alvarez opened the metal box while Elaine explained each document.
“There’s one more account,” Elaine said.
“He kept the access code behind Sophie’s photograph.”
Jeremy stopped struggling.
“Mom, don’t.”
Elaine handed the detective a folded card.
“It contains money from Lydia’s bakery and two other women.”
Lydia held Sophie closer.
“Can it be returned?”
“We will trace every transfer,” Detective Alvarez said.
Jeremy looked at Florence.
“You think they care about you?
Your own mother called me perfect.
Your family welcomed me because I knew how to become what they wanted.”
I stepped beside my daughter.
“You deceived us.
That shame belongs to you.”
The officer guided Jeremy toward the aisle.
He twisted around for one final look at Florence.
“You’ll never trust anyone again.”
Florence held Lydia’s hand.
“I trusted the right people today.”
Before Detective Alvarez followed, Karen touched his arm.
“There is a complication.”
She pointed to the account application bearing Elaine’s name.
“This signature was made in person, not online.”
Elaine stared at the page.
“I never signed it.”
Detective Alvarez looked slowly around the wedding guests.
“Then Jeremy had help from someone else in this room.”
