Chapter 41 - The Trap is Set
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Despite the judge dismissing the injunction and launching a criminal investigation, Arthur Pendelton was incredibly arrogant, and arrogance often bred profound stupidity. He had not been formally served with the perjury and fraud charges yet, as the district attorney was quietly building an airtight case. Because of this slight delay, Arthur still believed he held a sliver of power.
On Saturday morning, just hours before the gallery doors were set to open to the public, Marcus received a discreet phone call from the museum’s head of private security.
"Arthur Pendelton just requested a VIP press pass for tonight’s opening," Marcus told me, hanging up the phone with a dark, calculating look in his eye. "He thinks he can show up and intimidate the foundation board members in person to force a last-minute settlement."
"Is the museum going to deny him entry?" I asked, feeling a brief spike of anxiety.
"No," Marcus smiled, a predatory gleam flashing across his face. "I told security to grant him the pass. Sarah Jenkins is attending tonight, and she already spoke with the district attorney. If Arthur steps foot in that gallery and attempts to extort the board members, it moves from a paperwork crime to active, on-site extortion."
"You want him to show up," I realized, a slow smile mirroring his.
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"I want him to walk right into a trap of his own making," Marcus confirmed. "He tried to ruin Maya’s reputation in the press. Let’s see how he handles the press when the police walk him out of the gallery in handcuffs."
We didn't tell Maya about the impending confrontation. Tonight was entirely about celebrating her art, her resilience, and her beautiful spirit. We were not going to let Arthur’s desperate flailing cast a shadow over her moment. Marcus and I would stand at the gates and handle the monsters, just as we had promised.
