Chapter 6 - The Brother’s Midnight Escape
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Inside Interrogation Room 2 at the Fairfax County Judicial Complex, Julian Vance sat sweating under the harsh fluorescent lights.
His tailored Italian suit was rumpled, his silk tie undone, and his hands were cuffed to the iron table. Across from him sat Deputy Marcus Cole and federal forensic auditor David Sterling.
“You’re looking at twenty-five to thirty years in federal prison, Julian,” Deputy Cole stated, tossing the Dulles airport seizure manifests onto the metal table. “Interstate Kidnapping, Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Child Abuse.”
Julian began hyperventilating, wiping cold sweat from his forehead with his chained hands.
“It was Caroline’s idea!” Julian blurted out, pointing his finger toward the adjoining cell block. “Caroline found out about Victoria’s trust structure! She said Ryan was working late every evening and that the old coal chute behind the kitchen wall was soundproof! She said we only needed to keep Chloe hidden for six weeks until the probate judge signed the uncontested executor decree!”
“You starved a five-year-old child, Julian,” Auditor Sterling replied with icy disdain. “You bought an eighty-thousand-dollar Porsche while that little girl was drinking tap water from a plastic bottle behind drywall.”
“I gave Caroline five thousand dollars a week for groceries!” Julian wept, his arrogant facade completely shattering. “I didn't know she was keeping her in the wall! I thought she was in the guest room!”
Deputy Cole clicked his pen, closing his notebook with a sharp, definitive snap.
“Caroline has already signed a sworn deposition stating you personally built the false drywall partition over the Columbus Day weekend while Ryan was on a camping trip with Evan,” Cole said ruthlessly. “You are both going to federal penitentiary. And there is no bail on this earth that can save you.”
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Julian collapsed forward onto the table, sobbing in dry, ragged gasps as federal marshals stepped in to escort him to the maximum-security holding wing.
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