Chapter 11 - CAUGHT IN THE ACT
“...I’m telling you, Mother, the cops are completely incompetent,” Rachel’s sharp, shrill voice drifted down the hallway, carrying clear as crystal through the open door of the office. “They searched Clara’s place this morning and she bolted like a frightened rabbit. Once they issue a nationwide APB, she’s finished.”
My blood ran cold.
A second voice answered—my mother’s, sounding exhausted and miserable. “Rachel, are you sure about this? Framing your own sister... putting a federal target on her back... what if she goes to prison for fifteen years? What if she tells them the truth?”
“She won't have a choice,” Rachel scoffed, her heels clicking sharply against the marble entryway floor. “By the time the feds catch her, all the digital paper trail will point directly to her IP address. We’re safe, Mom. I’m safe. That’s all that matters.”
I stared at the laptop screen. The progress bar for the file transfer read: 94% complete.
Come on. Come on, finish downloading! I chanted in my head, my hands hovering over the keyboard, sweat beading heavily on my forehead.
“I’m going to grab a glass of wine,” Rachel’s voice drew closer, echoing from the adjacent kitchen. “Honestly, this whole ordeal has given me the worst migraines. Once Clara is locked away, Dad and I are going to take a trip to Europe to clear our heads.”
98%... 99%... 100%.
Download Complete.
I yanked the flash drive out of the USB port, shoved it deep into my jacket pocket, and stood up from the desk just as the frosted glass sliding door began to glide open.
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Rachel stepped into the home office, kicking off her Louboutin heels. She wore a stunning emerald-green silk dress, her blonde hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders. She looked the picture of wealthy, untouchable perfection—until her eyes locked onto me standing behind her desk.
Rachel froze. The glass of white wine she was holding slipped from her fingers, shattering against the floor with a loud, explosive crash, spraying wine and glass across the room.
