Chapter 2: The Trap Closes
By sunrise the next morning...
Every highway leaving the county had police checkpoints.
Daniel watched the news from the luxury lodge.
"...Authorities are investigating what was initially reported as a hiking accident..."
He relaxed.
Perfect.
Exactly as planned.
Then the anchor continued.
"...after the victim survived."
The coffee cup slipped from his hand.
"...survived?"
His phone exploded with missed calls.
The three hired men weren't calling to celebrate.
They were running.
Because the sheriff already had the recording.
Phone records.
Wire transfers.
GPS data.
The fake hiking reservations.
Everything.
One by one...
The men accepted plea deals.
Each blamed Daniel.
Each told investigators exactly who planned the murder.
Three days later...
Daniel returned to our house expecting to collect documents before disappearing overseas.
Instead...
The front gate was surrounded by federal agents.
He froze.
Standing beside them...
Was me.
My arm rested in a sling.
Purple bruises covered my face.
But I was standing.
Alive.
Daniel's face lost all color.
"You..."
He whispered.
"That's impossible."
I looked him straight in the eyes.
"No."
"You just weren't as smart as you thought."
The sheriff stepped forward.
"Daniel Carter."
"You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, insurance fraud, and solicitation of homicide."
Daniel bolted.
He made it exactly twenty yards.
A deputy tackled him into the gravel.
Handcuffs clicked shut.
As officers led him away, he screamed toward me.
"I did it for us!"
I stared back without emotion.
"No."
May you like
"You did it for money."
"And now you'll spend the rest of your life paying for it."
