Chapter 2 - The Flash Drive in the Envelope

By 8:00 PM, the Portland Police Bureau's financial crimes division was buzzing with chaotic energy. Detective Sarah Miller, a sharp, no-nonsense investigator, sat across from George in an interrogation room. Spread out on the metal table between them was Daniel’s leather-bound ledger and the contents of the flash drive.

"This is incredible, Mr. Whitaker," Detective Miller said, rubbing her temples as she scrolled through the data on her laptop. "Your son basically did our entire job for us. He traced Vance’s shell companies back to a massive offshore account in the Cayman Islands. And the video of Vance threatening you in the workshop gives us the probable cause we need for an immediate arrest warrant."

"Warrants don't mean anything if he leaves the country, Detective," George said, his hands resting on the handle of his cane. "Vance knows the walls are closing in. Marissa knows the judge froze Daniel’s accounts, but Vance has his own money. They're going to run."

"We've already flagged their passports," Miller replied. "But Vance has access to private charters. We're monitoring the airfields."

Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened. A young cyber-analyst stepped in, looking flushed.

"Detective," the analyst said urgently. "We just got a hit on the wiretap we put on Marissa Whitaker’s phone after the courthouse incident. She just booked two first-class, one-way commercial tickets to Dubai, departing from Portland International Airport in less than two hours. It's a non-extradition country. If they land there, we can't touch them."

Miller frowned. "Commercial? Why would Vance fly commercial when he has millions?"

"Because," George interjected, his eyes narrowing, "Daniel froze Vance out."

Miller looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

George tapped the ledger. "Look at the final entry Daniel made the week before he died. He didn't just record Vance's routing numbers. Daniel was the primary contractor on Vance's biggest development. He used Vance's own fraudulent invoices to place a massive commercial lien on all of Vance's real estate properties. Daniel legally locked up Vance's liquid assets before he died."

The analyst typed furiously on his keyboard. "He's right. Every property Vance owns is tied up in civil litigation filed by Daniel's LLC. Vance doesn't have the cash to charter a private jet. He's liquidating whatever loose cash he has left to flee commercial."

"They're cornered," Miller said, a fierce smile breaking across her face. She stood up, grabbing her radio. "All units, we have two high-value flight risks attempting to board Emirates Flight 412 out of PDX. Let's move."

George stood up slowly. "Detective. I want to be there."

Miller looked at the old man. She saw the grief lines carved into his face, the exhaustion in his posture, but also the unbreakable iron of his will. Technically, civilians weren't allowed on arrest operations.

But George had earned this.