Chapter 6 - Shadows Behind Bars
Ten miles away, in the harsh, fluorescent-lit intake facility of the county correctional center, Rebecca Sterling sat on the edge of a metal cot, staring at her reflection in a small, scratched stainless-steel mirror panel on the wall.
Her designer clothes had been replaced with standard-issue orange scrubs. Her makeup was gone, revealing the sharp, nervous lines around her mouth.
The heavy steel door clanked open, and a female guard stepped aside.
""Visitor for you, Sterling,"" the guard barked.
Rebecca didn't move. She assumed it was her court-appointed defense attorney, coming to deliver more bad news about frozen assets and insurmountable evidence. She dragged her feet across the concrete floor, shuffling into the sterile visitation booth and picking up the heavy plastic telephone receiver.
On the other side of the reinforced glass sat a woman with dark hair and sunglasses.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes, pressing her ear to the receiver. ""Who the hell are you? If you're a reporter—""
The woman slowly lowered her glasses.
It wasn't Elena. It was Arthur Ravel’s niece—Bianca, the very woman Rebecca had once hired to plant false evidence in Elena’s car two years ago before cutting ties with her to avoid exposure.
Rebecca’s blood ran cold. ""Bianca...? What are you doing here? Are you insane? If the guards see us talking—""
""Shut up, Rebecca,"" Bianca’s voice hissed through the tiny speaker, trembling with barely contained panic. ""Do you have any idea what you've done? When the police searched your apartment last night, they found the ledger. The real ledger.""
Rebecca’s fingers tightened around the plastic receiver until her knuckles turned white. ""What ledger?""
""The one where you detailed every single payment made to the mechanic who cut Elena’s brake lines,"" Bianca spat, her eyes wild with terror. ""My name is all over those wire receipts, Rebecca. I'm looking at twenty years in federal prison because you couldn't finish the job cleanly!""
""You helped me!"" Rebecca shrieked, slamming her palm against the glass partition. ""You wanted Julian just as badly as I did!""
""I wanted his money, you psycho! I didn't want to be an accessory to murder!"" Bianca screamed back, slamming her own receiver down onto the cradle and standing up. She glared through the glass with pure venom, mouthing the words You're on your own before turning and marching out of the visitation room.
May you like
Rebecca stood frozen in the small booth, the dial tone buzzing loudly in her ear.
The trap had finally snapped shut. And there was no way out.
