Chapter 18 - Patricia's Last Move
Patricia took no clothes.
No jewelry.
No passport.
She did take one thing.
A laptop from George's private office.
Investigators believed it contained records tying her directly to the fake appraisals and media campaign.
For two days, nobody found her.
Then she walked into Carter Meridian's lobby.
Alone.
My receptionist called upstairs.
"Mrs. Mitchell says she'll only speak to you."
I said no.
Then she held up the laptop for the lobby camera.
I changed my answer.
We met in a conference room with lawyers and agents behind the glass.
Patricia looked exhausted.
"I want a deal."
"Talk to the government."
"They want George more than me."
"Then you already understand your position."
Her mouth tightened.
She placed the laptop on the table.
"I knew who you were at the party."
"I know."
"I told Vanessa you were there to ruin us."
"I know."
"I thought if she embarrassed you enough, you'd leave before Ethan saw you."
I leaned back.
"You thought humiliating me would protect your fraud."
"I thought protecting my family justified ugly things."
I almost laughed.
Everyone used family as a shield after harming someone else's.
Patricia gave the password to the laptop.
The files connected her to George's duplicate liens, Paul's payment, Martin's gambling payoff, and the edited videos posted online.
Then she said something I did not expect.
"Vanessa didn't know about the loan fraud until after the engagement."
"But she stayed."
"Yes."
"And she hurt people on her own."
Patricia closed her eyes.
"Yes."
No excuse.
No rescue.
Just responsibility.
Agents entered and took the laptop.
As Patricia stood to leave, she looked at me.
"If you had arrived in diamonds, none of this would have happened."
May you like
I shook my head.
"That's exactly why I didn't.
