Chapter 6 - The Confrontation at O'Hare
At 2:15 PM, the international terminal at O'Hare Airport was packed with holiday travelers.
Marcus Vance walked briskly toward the private lounge gate, holding a leather carry-on bag and a boarding pass for London Heathrow. He checked his watch nervously every thirty seconds. His personal accounts were still active, but he knew it was only a matter of hours before the forensic accounting team at Monroe Development cracked his secondary shell files.
He handed his pass to the gate attendant. "Priority boarding, please."
Before the attendant could scan the paper, two broad-shouldered men in dark suits stepped up on either side of Marcus.
"Mr. Vance," a stern voice spoke from behind him.
Marcus turned around, his face draining of color.
Calvin Monroe stood six feet away. He wasn't wearing a corporate suit; he wore a heavy black wool coat, his tie loosened, his hair disheveled, and his eyes blazing with a cold, terrifying clarity. Standing beside him were two uniformed officers from the Chicago Police Department’s Financial Crimes Division.
"Calvin," Marcus stammered, taking an involuntary step back toward the boarding jetway. "What is this? I have a business trip scheduled—"
"Your trip is canceled, Marcus," Calvin said, his voice quiet, deadly, and carrying through the crowded terminal.
"You don't have the authority to detain me!" Marcus hissed under his breath, leaning in close. "If you cause a public scene here, the press will pick it up by dinner time! Think about the stock value, Calvin!"
Calvin took a step forward, towering over his former partner.
"I spent two years thinking about stock value, Marcus," Calvin said, his tone icy. "I spent two years trusting a snake while the woman I loved was forced to raise my children alone. I don't care about the press. I don't care about the stock."
The lead police officer stepped forward, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt.
"Marcus Vance," the officer announced loudly, "you are under arrest for corporate fraud, identity theft, and grand larceny involving Monroe Development accounts. You have the right to remain silent."
"This is insane!" Marcus shouted as the officer grabbed his arm, forcing it behind his back. "Calvin! I saved you from a massive mistake! She was nobody! She was a nurse's assistant!"
Calvin stepped right up to Marcus as the steel cuffs clicked shut around his wrists.
"She was everything," Calvin whispered into his ear. "And you are going to spend the next ten years in a state penitentiary thinking about how much a 'nobody' cost you."
The officers marched Marcus away through the staring crowd of travelers.
Calvin stood in the center of the terminal, watching his former best friend disappear into police custody. He took a long, deep breath, feeling a heavy weight lift from his chest, replaced immediately by the realization that his real fight had barely begun.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his mother's private driver.
"Where is she?" Calvin asked the moment the line connected.
May you like
"Mrs. Monroe is currently at the townhouse on Lakeview Place, sir," the driver reported. "Miss Quinn and the children arrived twenty minutes ago."
Calvin ran toward the parking garage without another word.
