Chapter 14 - The Betrayal Behind the Betrayal
Grant was arrested before lunch.
Financial fraud.
Kidnapping.
Conspiracy.
Obstruction.
He asked to speak to me.
Ruiz advised against it.
I went anyway.
Grant sat behind thick glass in the county detention center.
He looked ten years older.
“You framed me.”
I didn’t bother sitting.
“Yes.”
He said it like there was no point denying it.
“You stole from me.”
“Yes.”
“You kidnapped Laura.”
His eyes dropped.
“Yes.”
My hands curled against the counter.
“Did you kill her?”
Grant looked up.
“No.”
I wanted to smash the glass between us.
“You expect me to believe you now?”
“No.”
“Then why am I here?”
“Because Peter is going to disappear.”
Grant said the fraud had started small.
A few inflated invoices.
Fake consulting fees.
Then Peter discovered it.
Instead of reporting Grant, he demanded a share.
Within two years, Peter controlled the system.
Natalie became involved because Peter was blackmailing her over debts and a forged loan application.
When Laura discovered everything, Grant panicked.
“I thought if I could scare her, she’d stop.”
“So you forced her off the road?”
“I followed her.”
“Answer me.”
Grant’s face tightened.
“Peter hit her car.”
My stomach turned.
“Laura survived.
I pulled her out.”
“And then you kidnapped her.”
“I was terrified she’d go directly to police.”
Grant wiped his eyes.
“Peter kept saying you’d go to prison too because everything was under your credentials.”
“So you chose yourself.”
“Yes.”
At least he did not pretend otherwise.
“Where is Laura?”
His silence answered before his mouth did.
“I don’t know where Peter took her after the lake house.”
I leaned closer to the glass.
“You’ve had four years.”
“I know.”
“You stood beside me at her memorial.”
His voice broke.
“I know.”
I turned to leave.
Then Grant said my name.
“There’s one person who knows what happened after the lake house.”
I stopped.
“Natalie.”
I looked back.
May you like
Grant whispered.
“She was there the last night Laura was alive.”
