Chapter 135
Sabrina had peeked on her friends and witnessed an intimate moment and a budding romance.
“Oooo,” she said to herself. “My girls are snatching up their boys!” She jumped up and down in conspiratorial glee. She felt like she was back in high school helping her friends hook up with their crushes. Knowing they would probably murder her in her sleep if she interrupted them, she decided it would be a good time to call her own man.
“Hey baby,” she greeted him. “Things seem to be heating up around here. Jess and Spencer are talking. Like talking, talking. And Will and Emma, I totally saw them making out! Can you believe it? Love is in the air around here! Maybe we’ll be able to go on a triple date soon! Isn’t it great?” she gushed.
“Yeah, that awesome.” Alex’s response was short and dry.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he lied.
“Nice try,” she said, her good mood evaporating. “Spill it.”
“Babe, I…” he let out a long sigh. “We need to talk.”
The tone is his voice scared her. It was severe and serious; two things that she would never equate with him. When the initial shock washed over her, she returned with a heavy sigh of her own.
“I know,” she answered.
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone always says that nothing can get past me.”
“Do you really know?” Her heart broke a little when she heard the hope in his words. He was terrified about having this conversation.
“Not everything, but I know enough. I know there’s a part of your life you haven’t shared with me.”
“You aren’t angry?” There was a weight in his chest that began to lift. He had anticipated a huge argument. He was sure there would be screaming. But no. Sabrina was a wonder. He knew then more than ever that she was the right one. It was love at first punch.
“No. You have your reasons, I’m sure. We’ll talk more about this when I can get home. My adrenaline is running out and I’m crashing.”
“I can send a car for you,” he offered.
“Yeah, do that. I want to see you, and our baby. We can talk and hash this out.”
“How long have you known?”
“The whole time,” she answered. She could hear Alex release a deep breath.
“You are too smart for your own good.”
“Smart enough to be a Mafia Princess?”
“Mmm,” Alex’s approval rumbled deep in his chest. “You better watch out if you say that around me. I think I liked that a bit too much.”
“Then you better send that car soon,” she purred. “So you can get me home and show me how much you like it.”
“You better stop,” he warned.
“Make me.”
***
Things are the crime scene had started to calm down as all the preliminary evidence had been collected. The roar from earlier had died down to a buzz as Captain Whitlock and a few investigators were left behind.
“Captain!” the detective called. “There is a false drawer here in the desk!”
He rushed over, his heart pumping with anticipation as he watched the detective break through the false drawer. In it the found a journal and a key.
“Jackpot,” he whispered. “This key leads to something. Search the house for safe or something. Secret doors behind bookcases or paintings. There is something else hidden in this house. The answers we need are lurking somewhere right in front of us. Fan out and search!”
“Yes sir!”
Captain Whitlock perused the journal. There were detailed entries regarding drug shipments, both incoming and outgoing, reports about the scam against Jess’s father, plans to oust Will as the CEO, and a detailed outline of the kidnapping plot. There was even an entry about using Grace to plant the drugs in Will’s car.
“Bingo.”
Upon further reading, he stumbled across an entry about gambling debts. Massive gambling debts. As he continued to look through the journal it became clear. Robert Stewart had gotten in a bad way with even worse people. There weren’t any names, but Robert was at the bottom of this food chain. None of his decision, other than the kidnapping was something was directed or concocted by him.
“Who is at the damn top?” The more he read, the more disturbing things got. Robert Stewart had committed some horrific crimes all to appease whoever had loaned him the money to pay off his gambling debts.
“Rest is distress, you vile sack of shit.”
The journal described robberies, hostile takeovers, more kidnappings, murders. Each entry more monstrous than the last. One particular entry stood out.
I’m not stupid. Will has figured out by now that I’m behind the kidnapping of his precious woman. It would have gone by less messy if I had paid attention. The last time I saw him he was dating the Edgar Cunning’s daughter. Imagine my surprise when I kidnapped her first and she told me that Will had essentially kicked her out of his life. Sad for her, but fortuitous for me. A woman scorned is an amazing weapon. Grace has turned out to be an invaluable ally. While spouting words of undying love for William, she was more the willing assist me by planting the drugs in his car. A drastic distraction, but a necessary one.
Grace informed me that William’s real focus is on a woman named Emma Wells. The mother of his child. A child. How interesting. I do so dislike harming children. However, dire situations call for dire solutions. I will do whatever it takes to get William to give up his shares of the company. Stewart Industries will be mine, and then I shall be free of my folly. All my debts will be paid and then he and I will have business no more.
A harrowing, ominous message, in a different handwriting had been written on the last page of the journal.
MY CLAWS RUN DEEP.
Captain Whitlock read that and felt his blood turn to ice.
“Captain! We found a safe!” the shouts came from down the hall. He bagged the journal for evidence and rushed over to the other room. They had located a safe hidden behind a large painting over a mountain landscape. The detective opened the safe. There were stacks of cash and more journals.
“Bag this up for evidence,” Captain Whitlock ordered. As the things were removed from the safe, a USB drive fell out. Captain Whitlock picked it up. All his alarm bells began to ring. “And get me IT.”
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