Chapter 5 - THE PAPER TRAIL
The revelation shifted everything. We weren't just fighting an abusive husband anymore; we were fighting a cornered criminal.
I spent the next two weeks combing through old emails, tax documents, and every scrap of paper I had managed to pack in the frantic hours after the hospital. My ribs ached with a dull, constant throb, but the anger building inside me was stronger than the pain.
I discovered a hidden ledger on an old flash drive Evan had carelessly left in a jacket pocket months ago. It detailed illegal offshore sports betting, massive debts to dangerous people in Seattle, and a complex web of stolen funds from his former employer.
“He’s going to come for this,” I told my father one evening, staring at the laptop screen glowing in the dimly lit kitchen. “If the police get this ledger, he doesn't just go to jail for hitting me. He goes to federal prison for fraud and grand larceny. He owes terrible people a lot of money.”
Dad poured two cups of black coffee, sliding one toward me. He looked at the screen, his face hardening into granite. “Then we make sure the police get it first. Tomorrow morning, we take this to the detectives.”
But Evan was always one step ahead.
May you like
Just as Dad spoke, my cell phone vibrated on the table. It was an unknown number. I hesitated, then answered.
“Did you really think a piece of paper from a judge would stop me, Lena?” Evan’s voice was a low, terrifying rasp. “I know you have the drive. Bring it to the old shipyard at midnight, alone. If you don't, I’m going to make sure your father has an accident on his docks. And then I’m taking my son.”
