Chapter 15 - The Breakthrough
The ink on Dominic’s signature was barely dry by the time Sophia slammed the waiver onto the judge's desk in the federal courthouse.
"Your Honor," Sophia declared, her voice ringing with absolute authority. "We present a legally binding authorization from the creator of the encryption cipher, granting the State full access to the digital records in question. The defense's motion to suppress is moot."
Marcus Vance looked like he had swallowed a lemon. The judge reviewed the document, nodded slowly, and banged his gavel.
"Motion to suppress denied. The Apex Holdings data is admissible as evidence," the judge ruled.
I was sitting in the gallery, and I let out a long, shuddering breath. The final wall had been breached.
Within hours, the FBI forensics team cracked the offshore ledgers wide open. It was worse than anyone had anticipated. Julian hadn't just laundered money for Dominic; he was running a massive Ponzi scheme, defrauding dozens of small business owners, embezzling from his own corporate clients, and hiding millions in untaxed revenue.
Elena’s stolen assets were clearly marked and sitting in a holding account in the Bahamas.
I sat in the Haven Ledger office, watching the live news feed on my computer monitor. The headline flashed across the screen: REAL ESTATE MOGUL JULIAN CROFT INDICTED ON 47 COUNTS OF FEDERAL FRAUD.
Chloe walked up behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "We got him, Anna. The feds just froze all of his domestic and international accounts. He doesn't have two pennies to rub together."
"It’s over," Elena wept, sitting on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. "He has no money. He has no power. He can't hurt us anymore."
"Not yet," I cautioned, my eyes fixed on the television screen. The news anchor was reporting live from outside Julian’s massive estate. The FBI agents were carrying out boxes of evidence, but there was no sign of Julian being placed in handcuffs.
"Where is he?" I asked, a sudden chill running down my spine.
Chloe’s police radio suddenly squawked to life on her hip. The dispatcher’s voice was frantic.
May you like
“All units, be advised. Suspect Julian Croft has evaded the FBI perimeter. His vehicle was last seen heading southbound on Highway 1, toward the coast.”
He was coming for me.
