Chapter 4 - Allies in the Shadows
I knew going to the local police was out of the question. Harrison’s warning echoed in my mind: She owns people there. A woman with billions at her disposal could easily buy off local precinct captains. I needed someone outside the net.
At dawn, I took Chloe to the only person I could trust: my older sister, Elena, a former paralegal living in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Pasadena.
Elena was shocked when she opened the door to find us disheveled, cold, and terrified. After locking the house and making us hot tea, I laid out the documents and played the video of Harrison.
Elena watched in absolute silence, her mouth pressed into a thin line.
“This is massive, Sarah,” Elena said, her hands trembling as she reviewed the scanned birth certificates. “If this woman isn't Victoria Sterling, every transaction, every land deal, every contract she’s signed in the last three years is grand fraud. She’s facing federal life sentences.”
“I don't care about the money or the fraud,” I said, my voice crackling. “She’s killing Harrison. And last night, she came to my home. She knows Chloe exists now.”
“We need federal authority,” Elena said firmly. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. “During my time at the law firm, we worked with an agent from the FBI’s Financial Crimes and Human Trafficking division. His name is Agent Marcus Vance. He’s untouchable, Sarah. He’s been investigating the Sterling Enterprise’s suspicious offshore transfers for a year.”
An hour later, Agent Vance arrived at Elena’s house. He was a stern, grey-haired man with eyes that read people like open books. He listened to my story without interrupting, examining the contents of the USB drive on his secure tablet.
When the video of Harrison ended, Vance closed his eyes for a long moment, letting out a heavy breath.
“We’ve known something was wrong with the Sterling estate,” Vance said, looking up at me. “We traced millions flowing into unverified offshore accounts, but we lacked physical proof that 'Victoria' was an impostor. This drive gives us probable cause. But federal warrants take time, Sarah. At least forty-eight hours.”
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“Forty-eight hours?” I cried out. “She knows I opened the package! Once she realizes the police haven't knocked on her door yet, she’ll move Harrison—or eliminate him entirely!”
Vance looked at me grimly. “Then we don't wait for the warrant to scout. We go to Lake Arrowhead now.”
