Chapter 6 - The Border Connection
As the investigation widened, federal authorities uncovered an even darker layer to the plot.
Julian had not planned to raise Chloe in Mexico. Victoria had arranged through an international human smuggling syndicate to hand the six-year-old over to an unregulated private orphanage near Tijuana once the border crossing was complete. To Julian and Victoria, Chloe was not just an obstacle to cash; she was a loose end that needed to be permanently buried in the shadows of a foreign country.
Detective Callahan briefed me in the hospital waiting room as Chloe slept peacefully down the hall.
"They had a private charter flight booked out of Gary Airport at 4:00 AM tomorrow," Callahan revealed. "The funeral home van that was scheduled to pick up the casket was owned by a collaborator. They were going to substitute an empty concrete-weighted box for the burial while driving Chloe across state lines in a cargo crate."
A cold rage burned through my veins.
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"Julian grew up in comfort," I whispered, tears of grief and disgust filling my eyes. "He had every advantage, every opportunity. How did he become this?"
"Greed doesn't have a pedigree, Mrs. Vance," Detective Callahan said softly. "Some people don't see human beings; they only see balances on a ledger. But you saw your granddaughter."
