Chapter 6 - The Split
When a foundation built on murder begins to crack, the rats turn on each other instantly.
By midnight, Brandon and Gretchen were back in the grand library of my estate, screaming at each other so loudly the audio sensors blew out the high frequencies.
"You took her phone on the trail, didn't you?!" Brandon roared, slamming his fist into a bookshelf, sending leather-bound volumes tumbling to the floor. "You told me you threw her phone off the cliff!"
"I DID throw her phone off the cliff!" Gretchen screamed back, tears of rage smearing her mascara. "I watched it smash against the rocks, Brandon! Someone is setting us up! Someone at the police department or the insurance company is playing mind games with you, and you're falling for it like a coward!"
"I am NOT a coward!" Brandon lunged forward, grabbing Gretchen by her lapels. "I pushed a nine-month pregnant woman into a blizzard for us! I did the dirty work while you stood there holding the thermos! If I go down for this, Gretchen, I swear to God I will drag you down to the bottom of the lake with me!"
Gretchen shoved him away with all her strength, her face twisted in disgust. "Don't you threaten me! I have copies of the offshore wire transfers you signed before the trip! I have the emails where you asked about life insurance policies without suicide clauses! If the feds come knocking, I'm turning state's evidence and pinning every single thing on you!"
Brandon stared at her, his breathing heavy, realization dawning on him. The love, the passion, the shared greed that had bound them together was gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated terror.
"You bitch," Brandon whispered. "You planned this from the start."
"I planned to be rich, not sitting in a federal penitentiary because you can't control your hallucinations!" Gretchen spat, grabbing her handbag from the couch. "I'm staying at a hotel tonight. Don't call me until the insurance money is in the account."
She slammed the heavy oak door behind her.
In my penthouse, I watched Brandon sink onto the leather couch, burying his head in his hands, trembling uncontrollably.
May you like
I picked up my phone and pressed speed dial.
"Agent Ramirez?" I said softly. "The suspects have turned on each other. Secure Gretchen’s vehicle as soon as she clears the gates. Let’s offer her a deal she can’t refuse."
