Chapter 7 - The Arrest
Two weeks later, Maya was discharged from the hospital and returned home to a transformed house.
I had repainted the living room in bright, warm yellow tones, thrown away Robert’s office furniture, and filled the house with fresh flowers. Maya’s appetite had returned with a vengeance, her cheeks were full and rosy, and for the first time in months, I heard her laughing loudly in her bedroom while chatting on FaceTime with her friends.
She was back to being a fifteen-year-old girl.
On a Tuesday afternoon, as Maya and I were unloading groceries from the car, a black sedan pulled into the driveway. Detective Miller stepped out, holding a manila folder.
"Good afternoon, Helen. Hey there, Maya," Detective Miller smiled warmly at my daughter. "Looking much better!"
"Thanks, Detective!" Maya beamed, carrying a bag of apples into the house.
Detective Miller walked over to me on the porch. "I thought you’d like to know. We executed an arrest warrant on Robert an hour ago at his corporate office."
My heart gave a small thump. "What are the charges?"
"Two counts of felony child endangerment, one count of attempt to commit insurance fraud, and three counts of grand larceny for the illegal transfer of marital assets prior to divorce," Miller stated with satisfaction. "The District Attorney refused bail because Robert attempted to purchase a one-way flight to Grand Cayman last night."
I leaned against the porch railing, looking out at the neighborhood under the clear blue sky.
"He's staying in jail?" I asked.
May you like
"Until the trial," Miller confirmed. "And with the evidence your forensic accountant provided, he’s looking at seven to twelve years in state prison."
I closed my eyes, letting the warm afternoon sun beat down on my face. The dark cloud that had hung over our home for sixteen years had finally cleared away entirely.
