Chapter 8 - The Domino Effect
The arrest made the local news.
It wasn't a huge headline, but it was enough to alert the local banks.
Within forty-eight hours, the financial dominoes began to fall.
I sat in Mr. Sterling's downtown office, looking at a stack of printed documents. Grandma sat beside me, sipping a glass of water.
"Because of his arrest for breaking and entering, the bank flagged his accounts," Sterling explained, tapping a pen against the desk. "They did a deep dive into Apex Holdings."
"What did they find?" I asked.
"Fraud," Sterling smiled grimly. "David forged income statements to secure the commercial loan. When the bank realized the down payment was stolen money, they immediately froze his credit lines."
"So he loses the commercial property?" Grandma asked, her voice quiet.
"Yes. And his house," Sterling confirmed. "The bank is foreclosing on everything to recoup their losses."
I leaned back in my chair. "What about Aunt Linda?"
"She tried to flee to Florida yesterday," Sterling chuckled. "She was stopped at the airport. She's facing charges as an accessory to fraud. She’s currently trying to cut a plea deal by testifying against your father."
It was a total collapse. Everything they had built on lies was crumbling into dust.
"And my thirty thousand dollars?" Grandma asked.
"Recovered," Sterling slid a cashier's check across the desk. "The bank released the funds from the frozen Apex account to avoid being implicated in elder abuse."
Grandma stared at the check. It was a piece of paper, but it represented her dignity, her hard work, and her independence.
She reached out and touched it gently. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling."
"You earned it, Mrs. Vance," he said warmly. "You stood your ground."
As we walked out of the office building, the afternoon sun was shining brightly.
I looked at Grandma. She looked lighter. The heavy burden she had been carrying for the last month was finally gone.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
She took a deep breath of the fresh city air.
"I feel like a very rich, very free woman," she smiled. "But I think we still have some unfinished business."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of unfinished business?"
May you like
She pulled a glossy travel brochure out of her purse. It was the same one she had received in the mail weeks ago.
"I believe," she said, tapping the cover, "that I am owed a trip to Europe."
