Chapter 9 - The Phone Call
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Victor hung up the phone, the silence of the car feeling heavier than a concrete vault. Audrey wasn't just a cruel opportunist; she was a desperate animal backed into a corner, using his paralyzed mother as a sacrificial lamb to save her own skin.
He needed to return to the estate, but he couldn't just walk through the front doors. If Audrey realized she was caught, she would panic. She might try to kill Sylvia immediately, or worse, Judge Sterling would use his federal connections to bury Victor in indictments before the truth could come out.
Victor needed to play the game perfectly.
He took a deep breath, smoothing his features into a mask of calm composure, and dialed Audrey’s number.
It rang twice before she answered.
“Victor, darling!” Audrey’s voice chimed through the speaker, sickeningly sweet and melodic. It was the same voice she had used right after pouring water onto his mother’s floor.
“Hey, beautiful,” Victor forced himself to say, keeping his tone light and affectionate. “I just landed in Chicago. The weather here is miserable.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” Audrey cooed. “I wish you were here with me. The house feels so empty without you.”
Victor felt his stomach twist with violent disgust. “How are things holding up? How is my mother?”
There was a slight, almost imperceptible pause on the other end of the line.
“She’s sleeping, sweetheart,” Audrey said, her voice dropping into a tone of gentle, manufactured sympathy. “She seems so tired lately. I’m just trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. It breaks my heart to see her like this.”
“You're an angel, Audrey,” Victor lied smoothly, his eyes narrowing at the digital dashboard of the SUV. “I don't know what I’d do without you taking care of her. I’ll make this trip as quick as possible. I’ll be home by Friday.”
“Take your time, Victor. Focus on your meetings,” Audrey insisted, a little too quickly. “Family takes care of family.”
“Yes,” Victor whispered into the receiver. “They certainly do. I’ll call you tonight.”
May you like
Victor ended the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Friday. She thought she had three full days to finish the job without interference. She was going to increase the dosage.
Victor put the SUV in gear and drove toward a safe house he maintained in Yonkers. He couldn't go back to the estate yet. He needed to prepare the trap, and he needed his top lieutenants to make sure the federal judge couldn't save his murderous daughter.
