Chapter 5 - The Financial Collapse
By sunrise, the scope of Lucas’s deception had expanded far beyond what I imagined.
At the Edina Police precinct, Detective Miller and an investigator from the state Attorney General’s office sat across from me in a conference room. Chloe was resting comfortably; her blood tests showed no systemic toxicity, and the medical team assured me that the skin burns would heal completely with topical care.
"Mrs. Miller," said Assistant Attorney General Karen Vance, reviewing the forensic financial audit. "Your husband’s employer terminated his contract six months ago for embezzlement."
I stared at her in disbelief. "Six months ago? He told me he was receiving bonuses. He gave me monthly household allowances."
"Those funds came from the unauthorized cosmetic sales," Vance explained. "He took out two separate home equity lines of credit using forged electronic signatures under your name, totaling nearly three hundred thousand dollars. He plowed that capital into purchasing large shipments of unregulated chemicals."
The room spun briefly. The financial stability I thought we had was a complete illusion. Lucas had stripped our savings, mortgaged our future, and put our daughter directly in harm's way to sustain a criminal scheme.
"Where is Lucas now?" I asked.
"He posted bail through a commercial bondsman two hours after his initial processing," Detective Vance said grimly. "Because the initial charge was third-degree child endangerment pending full chemical lab results, the statutory bail was set relatively low. However, with the evidence you uncovered in the apartment—the bulk storage, the flight itinerary, and the forged financial instruments—we are preparing felony warrants for commercial fraud, reckless endangerment, and aggravated child neglect."
My phone rang. It was an unknown local number.
Detective Vance nodded toward the speaker button. "Answer it. Put it on speaker."
I pressed the button. "Hello?"
"Sarah," Lucas’s voice came through the line, strained and frantic. "You went to the police with the files. You brought them into the apartment."
"You forged my signature, Lucas," I said, my voice hardening. "You poisoned our home, burned our daughter, and bought a ticket to Panama."
A long silence hung on the line.
"You don't understand how deep this goes," he whispered. "The suppliers I bought those compounds from aren't regular vendors. If the state seizes that warehouse in Brooklyn Center, those people will come looking for their money. You need to withdraw your statement to the child welfare board. Tell them it was an accidental household cleaning mistake."
"I will never lie for you," I said clearly. "Never again."
"Then you get nothing," Lucas snapped. "The accounts are emptied. The car is registered to the LLC. You and Chloe will be out on the street with zero dollars."
"We will survive," I said, "without you."
I ended the call and looked at Detective Miller. "Trace that call."
May you like
"Already done," Miller said, looking up from his monitor. "He called from a motel near the Brooklyn Center commercial strip. He’s near his warehouse."
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