Chapter 7 - The Weight of Proof
Marcus Vance’s composure fractured for barely a heartbeat before he smoothly recovered, though the color had drained slightly from his cheeks. He leaned in closer to the screen door, his voice dropping to a dangerous, conspiratorial whisper.
"Little girls say a lot of things they've been coached to say," Vance murmured, his eyes fixed on Lucy. "But a court of law requires admissible evidence, Charles. And digital files passed off by grieving children without a chain of custody? Any corporate lawyer in Georgia can tear that apart in ten minutes."
"Then let's let the auditors decide that," I said, pushing the door firmly until the latch caught with a sharp click. I locked it, sliding the deadbolt home with a resounding thud.
Through the frosted glass of the front door, I watched Vance stand motionless for a long moment before he turned and walked down the steps toward his waiting car.
I turned back to face Lucy. Her hands were trembling slightly now that the immediate confrontation was over, though she still held the journal and the flash drive against her chest like armor.
"Did you really give copies to Dr. Hayes?" I asked gently, kneeling down to look her in the eye.
Lucy shook her head slowly.
"No," she whispered. "Dr. Hayes doesn't have them yet. I lied so he would back off."
A chill ran down my spine, but looking at her clever, terrified face, my heart swelled with a fierce protectiveness. She had bluffed a man who controlled millions of dollars, using nothing more than sheer nerve.
"That was remarkably brave, Lucy," I said, placing my hand over hers. "And incredibly dangerous. But it bought us time. Now we need to make it true."
Ten minutes later, Rachel and April were quietly eating cereal at the kitchen table, blissfully unaware of the man who had just stood on our porch. I sat at the small desk in the corner of the living room, dialing a number from the business card Lucy had pulled from her pocket the night before.
It rang twice before a crisp, professional voice answered.
"Dr. Hayes speaking."
"Dr. Hayes, my name is Charles Miller. I'm Rose's father," I said, keeping my voice low. "We need to meet. Today. Marcus Vance and my son-in-law are trying to bury evidence of a financial fraud that goes deeper than we thought, and my granddaughters' safety depends on what we do next."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. When Dr. Hayes spoke again, all academic detachment had vanished from her voice.
May you like
"I've been trying to reach Rose for three weeks," Dr. Hayes replied grimly. "Meet me at the back entrance of the Savannah Public Library in one hour. Bring everything you have."
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