Chapter 12 - the bank vault
"I have no idea who Keller is," Drake said, his voice tightening. "Officers, secure the perimeter. Locate the child."
"Don't take another step," Daniel said, not raising his voice by a single decibel.
The two city officers hesitated, looking between the billionaire businessman and the senior judge.
"Daniel, you are obstructing a lawful court order," Drake warned, his eyes narrowing to cold slits. "If you do not produce that child, I will have you arrested for harboring a runaway."
At that exact moment, the private elevator chimed again.
The doors opened, and four men in navy windbreakers with yellow *FBI* lettering on the back stepped out, led by a tall, graying federal agent with a badge clipped to his belt.
"Judge Drake," Marcus Hayes announced, his badge gleaming in the chandelier light. "Step away from Mr. Carter."
Drake spun around, his face turning an ugly shade of mottled red. "Hayes? What is the meaning of this? This is a municipal family court matter!"
"This is an interstate racketeering and attempted kidnapping investigation," Marcus replied smoothly, waving two federal marshals forward. "Officers, you are dismissed. Return to your precinct immediately."
The two city police officers looked at the federal badges, nodded swiftly, and took the service stairs without saying a word.
Drake backed away toward the fireplace, his hands shaking slightly. "You have no jurisdiction here, Hayes. You have no evidence of any wrongdoing."
"We have Julian Carter's signet ring," Daniel said, stepping forward until he was standing inches from Drake’s face. "We have the original Cease-and-Desist order dispatched from Victoria’s office. We have Keller’s phone logs from the park. And at eight o'clock this morning, the federal bank examiners will open Safe Deposit Box 714 at First Federal Trust."
Drake’s knees visibly buckled. The color drained completely from his face.
"Julian... Julian told you about the box?" Drake croaked, his voice losing all its judicial authority.
"Julian left the key to his daughter," Daniel whispered coldly. "The daughter you tried to throw off my roof tonight."
Marcus stepped forward and clicked a pair of steel handcuffs around Drake’s wrists. "Thomas Drake, you are under arrest for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent."
As the federal agents led the trembling old judge toward the elevator, Daniel pulled Marcus aside.
"Where is Victoria?" Daniel asked.
Marcus checked his secure tablet. "Her private jet filed a flight plan for Zurich thirty minutes ago from Teterboro Airport. We have port authority blocking the runway right now. She isn't leaving the country, Dan."
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Daniel took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment as the weight of eleven years of lies washed over him.
His brother had been telling the truth all along.
