Chapter 14 - THE HUNT FOR MARCUS
The discovery of the passports escalated the investigation to a federal level.
The FBI was brought in.
They took over the conference room at the precinct.
Pictures of Ethan, Marcus, and the twelve shell companies covered the whiteboards.
I sat in the corner, holding a cup of cold coffee.
Agent Reynolds, a stern man with sharp eyes, addressed the room.
"Marcus Vance is the architect of the financial structure," Reynolds said.
"Ethan was the charming front man."
"He found the women, married them, and got access to their accounts."
"Marcus moved the money through the offshore trusts."
"They've been doing this for almost a decade."
I listened, feeling completely detached from reality.
Ten years.
I had been married to him for eight.
Which meant I was one of his earliest targets.
"Marcus has vanished," Agent Reynolds continued.
"His bank accounts were drained an hour after he left the preschool."
"His passport flagged an alert at the airport, but he never boarded a plane."
"He's still in the city."
Mitchell walked over to me.
"You need to go stay somewhere safe," she said.
"Marcus knows the plan failed."
"He knows you're the reason it fell apart."
"He's desperate, and desperate men make mistakes."
I shook my head.
"I'm not hiding."
"He tried to take my son."
"I want to help you find him."
Mitchell looked at me sympathetically.
"Leave the police work to us, Emma."
"Go to your father's house."
"We'll have a cruiser stationed outside."
I finally agreed.
When I arrived at my dad's house, Noah was asleep on the sofa.
My dad was sitting in an armchair, holding a baseball bat.
He looked up when I walked in.
"Is it over?" Dad asked quietly.
"No," I whispered.
"Marcus is still out there."
Dad gripped the bat tighter.
"They're not getting near this boy."
I sat on the edge of the sofa and stroked Noah's cheek.
He looked so peaceful.
So untouched by the evil that had surrounded him.
Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was an unknown number.
I hesitated, then answered.
"Hello?"
Silence on the other end.
"Hello?" I repeated.
A voice whispered through the speaker.
"You should have just let him take the money, Emma."
It was Marcus.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Where are you?" I demanded.
"You ruined ten years of work," he said coldly.
"Did you really think Ethan loved you?"
"You were just a portfolio to us."
"A very annoying portfolio."
"If you come near my son," I growled, "I will kill you myself."
Marcus laughed softly.
May you like
"Look out the window, Emma."
The line went dead.
