Chapter 7 - The Arrests at Dawn
The rain began to fall in sheets by Sunday night, drumming a steady, relentless rhythm against the bedroom windows. Noah was sleeping soundly, his fever completely gone, his breathing calm and regular.
I sat in the dark living room, watching the rain blur the streetlights outside.
At exactly 6:00 AM on Monday morning, the flashing red and blue lights of federal and state police cruisers illuminated the quiet suburban cul-de-sac.
I stood by the window with a cup of coffee as three unmarked black SUVs pulled up in front of Vanessa’s downtown luxury high-rise apartment complex on the live news broadcast streaming on my phone. Simultaneously, two federal agents walked up the steps of Arthur Sterling’s sprawling lakeside estate in Winnetka.
The media circus was instant. Local news vans swarmed the streets like hornets.
Live on morning television, reporters announced:
*“Breaking news from downtown Chicago: Prominent corporate heiress Vanessa Sterling has been arrested this morning on felony charges of child endangerment and reckless confinement. Simultaneously, federal agents have raided the corporate headquarters of Sterling Logistics, arresting CEO Arthur Sterling on charges of massive pension fraud and federal embezzlement.”*
My phone began to vibrate violently on the coffee table. It was an unknown caller ID, flashing repeatedly.
I let it ring out to voicemail.
Ten minutes later, a desperate, tear-soaked voice played through my voicemail box:
*“Mark! Mark, please! Dad has been arrested, the police are searching my apartment, they’re talking about ten years in prison! Please, pick up the phone! Tell them it was a joke! Tell them we’re a family!”*
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I deleted the voicemail without listening to another second, blocked the number permanently, and tossed the phone onto the sofa.
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