Chapter 13
At Victor's desperate denial, Emily’s breathing sharpened behind me. She was terrified, but she was also her father's daughter. I reached back and gave her hand a firm, reassuring squeeze.
"Tell him about the wall, Pop," Emily whispered, her voice suddenly steady, infused with a newfound strength.
I nodded, turning my attention away from the weeping Laura and back to Victor. I pointed toward a section of corrugated metal paneling in the far corner of the warehouse, near the old loading dock. To the untrained eye, it looked like a structural support wall.
"You didn't just use this place as a prison, did you, Victor?" I asked.
Before he could move to stop me, I walked swiftly to the corner, wedged my fingers into a barely visible seam in the metal, and yanked hard. The panel wasn't bolted; it was on a hidden sliding track. It ripped open with a loud screech, revealing a small, climate-controlled hidden office.
Inside sat a folding table covered in electronic equipment. I grabbed a handful of items and tossed them onto the main warehouse floor. Two cheap, disposable burner phones clattered against the concrete. Next came Emily’s missing cell phone, the screen cracked. Then, I pulled out a portable wireless printer and a sleek silver laptop.
Victor’s face drained of all color. He looked like a man standing on the gallows.
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"I ran a remote diagnostic on this network while I was driving here," I said, looking at the laptop. "Your firewall is a joke. I found hundreds of scanned signatures, forged deeds, and altered power of attorney forms belonging to the elderly clients of your investment firm."
I looked at him with pure disgust. "You didn't begin with Emily, Victor. She was just your biggest payday."
