Chapter 5 - THE LEGAL NET TIGHTENS
Following her outburst at Aunt Brenda’s house, Marlo went completely dark. She stopped posting online, deleted her fake Facebook page, and turned off her phone. But while she hid, the machinery of the justice system kept turning.
On Monday morning, Detective Vance called me into the station for an update. Elias came with me, while Mom stayed home with Ren.
"We’ve made significant progress over the weekend," Detective Vance reported, opening a thick case file on his desk. "We executed a subpoena on the bank records and the internet service provider logs."
He laid out three key pieces of evidence:
IP Tracing: The bank confirmed that six separate wire transfers from my father’s account to Marlo’s personal checking account were initiated from the Wi-Fi network registered to Marlo’s apartment address.
Notary Deposition: Detective Vance had interviewed the notary public who stamped the quitclaim deed. Under police questioning, the notary admitted that my father was never present when the document was stamped. Marlo had brought the pre-signed document to her office and paid her $500 to notarize it without verification.
ATM Footage: The bank provided security camera footage of Marlo personally cashing three of the forged checks at a drive-thru teller window during the exact hours my father was admitted to the intensive care unit.
"This is an airtight case, Mr. and Mrs. Vance," Detective Vance said smoothly. "The State Attorney has approved a formal arrest warrant for Marlo Vance on three felony counts: Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Possession of Forged Instruments, and Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Adult."
A deep sense of relief washed over me, mixed with a tragic sadness. This was my sister—someone I had grown up with, shared a bedroom with as a child, and loved for decades. To see her path lead to felony arrest warrants was heartbreaking, yet her relentless cruelty over the past year had left no other choice.
"When will she be arrested?" Elias asked.
"Officers are en route to her apartment right now to execute the warrant," Detective Vance replied.
However, thirty minutes later, Detective Vance’s office phone rang. He listened quietly for a moment, his brow furrowing, before hanging up.
He looked up at us. "She wasn't at her apartment. Her landlord says she packed two large suitcases late last night and left in a taxi. She’s turned off her phone GPS."
"She fled?" I asked, my heart dropping.
"She’s trying to," Vance said calmly. "But she can't run far. Her name and vehicle information are being entered into the national crime database right now. If she tries to board a flight or check into a hotel using her legal ID, we’ll know immediately."
As we left the police station, my phone buzzed. It was an email notification.
I opened it. It was sent from a brand-new, anonymous burner email account.
Subject: Final Offer
"Maya, If you don't drop the police investigation by 5 PM today, I am sending a full packet of documents to Elias’s employer, alleging financial misconduct on HIS part. I know where he works, I know his boss’s name, and I have created enough fake emails to make him lose his job by tomorrow morning. You think you can destroy me? I will take both of you down with me. - M"
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Elias read the email over my shoulder. His jaw tightened, but this time, there was no fear in his eyes—only determination.
"She’s backed into a corner," Elias said quietly. "And a cornered animal makes stupid mistakes."
