Chapter 16 - The Desperate Call
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As the federal trial loomed closer, the reality of federal prison finally broke Daniel’s arrogant spirit.
One rainy Tuesday evening, exactly four months after the wedding, my office phone rang. The receptionist had strict orders to block any numbers associated with the Mercers, but Daniel had used a burner phone.
“Claire, please don’t hang up,” his voice crackled through the speaker, sounding thin, exhausted, and desperately pathetic.
I paused, my finger hovering over the end-call button. I didn't say a word, letting the silence stretch and suffocate him.
“The feds are offering me a plea deal,” he confessed, his breathing shallow and rapid. “They want me to testify against my dad. If I give them the offshore routing numbers, they’ll recommend a lighter sentence for me. Only three years in a minimum-security camp instead of ten.”
“Why are you calling me, Daniel?” I asked, my voice as cold as ice. “We have nothing to discuss.”
“Because I know you have the missing Cayman ledgers!” he pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. “The ones my dad encrypted before the servers were seized. If you give those to my lawyer, I can use them as leverage for the plea. I know I messed up, Claire. I know I hurt you. But I’m still your husband in the eyes of the church. Please, you have to help me.”
I actually laughed. It was a dark, hollow sound that echoed in my quiet office.
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“You aren't calling because you're sorry, Daniel,” I told him smoothly. “You’re calling because you're a coward. You helped him steal from your mother, and now you want to throw him to the wolves to save your own skin. You deserve each other.”
I hung up the phone and immediately emailed the audio recording of his desperate plea directly to the federal prosecutor handling his case.
