Chapter 5 - The Trap Closes
The lead Swiss investigator stepped forward, holding out a thick stack of international arrest warrants.
"Victoria Thompson, Richard Vance, you are under arrest pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice issued by the United States Federal Government," the officer declared in fluent English. "The charges include Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, Grand Larceny, and Felony Child Endangerment."
"Child endangerment?!" Victoria shrieked, as two officers yanked her arms behind her back, snapping heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists. "I didn't endanger anyone! They were in our backyard! It was just a little rain!"
Michael took a step closer to her, leaning down so his face was inches from hers. "It was forty-two degrees Fahrenheit, Victoria. The police report from Greenwich Department specifies that the temperature dropped rapidly during the storm. If I had arrived one hour later, Emma and Sophie would have entered severe stage-two hypothermia. You left them to die."
Victoria choked on her breath, realizing for the first time that there was no way out. The charm, the lies, the manipulation that had served her entire life were utterly useless against the cold, hard reality of what she had done.
Richard was already being dragged away by two officers, yelling frantically for his lawyers, his face slick with sweat.
"What about the money?" Victoria whimpered, her hands pinned behind her back. "Michael... you can have the money back! Just drop the child endangerment charges! Please! I can't go to prison!"
"The money has already been frozen by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority," Michael informed her smoothly. "Every single dollar has been returned to the Thompson-Richardson clinical trial fund. In fact, because of your criminal exposure, the board of directors has voted unanimously to strip you of all marital asset claims under the felony forfeiture clause."
Victoria’s eyes filled with pure terror. "I... I won't get anything?"
"You get a prison sentence, Victoria," Michael said flatly. "The federal prosecutor in Connecticut informed me this morning that given the severity of abandoning two eight-year-olds during a national weather alert, you are looking at a minimum of fifteen years in a federal penitentiary."
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"Michael, please!" Victoria wailed as the officers began dragging her toward the hotel suite doors. "I'm their mother! You can't do this to me!"
"You're not their mother," Michael called after her, watching her vanish into the hallway. "You were just a temporary storm in their lives. And the storm is over."
