Chapter 17 - Family Business
Lena Price had used her mother’s last name.
Nobody on the course staff knew she was Marcus Vance’s daughter.
Mason knew because he had processed an old emergency contact form.
“I thought it was private,” he said.
“It was,” Ward replied. “Until she started using privileged access to protect him.”
They found Price three hours later at a motel seventy miles away.
That mattered.
On it were copies of emails, schedules, medical access logs, and text messages between Briggs and Vance.
She admitted trying to access my personal account after overhearing investigators discuss the Virginia records.
But she insisted on one thing.
Ward asked, “Then why did you?”
Price began crying.
“Because he said she had been trying to ruin him for years.”
I felt no triumph.
Just exhaustion.
Ward placed a tissue box on the table.
“Did he ask you to give Briggs her medical information?”
Price shook her head.
“No. Briggs asked me.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Why?”
“He said he wanted a fair advantage.”
I almost laughed.
Ward did not.
Price wiped her face.
“I know how that sounds.”
There was one final piece.
A voice memo.
Price had recorded it by accident while her phone was in her pocket.
Vance and Briggs were talking in an office.
Briggs: “What if she beats me?”
Vance: “Then make her pay for it.”
Briggs: “How far?”
Vance: “Not enough to put her in a hospital.”
A pause.
Then Briggs laughed.
“That gives me room.”
Ward stopped the recording.
Nobody moved.
Price covered her face.
“My dad didn’t mean—”
Ward cut her off.
Price lowered her hands.
“I’m sorry.”
I believed she meant it.
That did not erase anything.
Before I could answer, Hayes entered.
His face was tight.
Ward stood.
“What?”
“Effective immediately.”
“On whose authority?”
Hayes handed her the order.
She read the signature.
May you like
Then she looked at me.
The person who had shut everything down outranked every officer in the building.
