Chapter 31 - The Prison Conversation
Richard’s bitter smirk instantly vanished. His eyes darted nervously between Vanessa and me. The mention of Julian’s name had clearly struck a raw, exposed nerve.
"Julian is a ghost," Richard scoffed, attempting to maintain his facade. "He fled to Europe the moment the indictments dropped. He has nothing."
"Julian is sitting in Savannah right now," Vanessa interjected, her voice dripping with venom. "He filed a fraudulent 1984 lien on the Carter House. He froze the clinic’s accounts using your old corrupt judge, Higgins. He is actively hunting for the decryption keys to the offshore accounts Mom froze. He is taking absolutely everything, Richard. When you get out of this cage in ten years, there will be nothing left for you but dust."
I watched Richard closely. The narcissistic injury was immediate and profound. His jaw clenched so tightly the muscles jumped. The idea that his silent partner was out in the world, living like a king on the very spoils Richard had gone to prison for, was an unbearable, agonizing insult to his ego.
"Julian thinks you were a sloppy, emotional fool," I added, twisting the psychological knife deeper. "He told us to our faces that you were incompetent. He believes he is the true mastermind."
"He is a parasite!" Richard spat, his composure cracking violently. "I built the political connections! I took the risks! Julian just sat in his pristine office and counted the money! He doesn't get to erase my legacy!"
"Then stop him," I demanded, leaning closer to the thick glass. "Tell us exactly where the original, un-forged 1984 partnership agreement is hidden. If we produce the original document to the court, it proves Julian committed massive perjury and fraud. The feds will arrest him, and he will end up in a cell right next to yours."
Richard stared at me, his eyes gleaming with a dark, twisted satisfaction. He wouldn't help us out of kindness, but he would gladly weaponize us to destroy his rival.
"I never trusted Julian," Richard whispered through the phone. "I kept the original documents as an insurance policy. But I didn't hide them in the house. Your mother was too nosy."
May you like
He leaned closer to the glass, his breath fogging the plastic. "If you want to end Julian, you need to look at the very foundation of our empire. Look behind the first cornerstone we ever laid. The truth is buried in the brick."
He hung up the phone and walked away, leaving us with a riddle that could save everything.
