Chapter 7 - Monday's Sale)
Christmas Day became a race against Monday.
Shawn's corporate attorneys filed emergency notices against the Easton title.
Detective Brooks contacted the registry.
Father Thomas provided the restriction release.
Don and Maria signed sworn declarations stating they had never authorized a sale.
Still, Garrett had prepared carefully.
The guardianship order remained technically valid until a judge overturned it.
The signatures on several sale documents appeared authentic.
A notary named Celia Ward had witnessed them.
When police found her, she insisted Don had signed willingly.
Don stared at her photograph.
"I've never seen that woman in my life."
Maria agreed.
Investigators discovered Celia worked part time for one of Garrett's investment firms.
The web widened.
So did the number of victims.
Two elderly couples reported missing investment funds.
A widow had lost most of her retirement savings.
A retired teacher believed Garrett had invested eight hundred thousand dollars for her.
The account contained less than ninety thousand.
Garrett had not built one scheme.
He had built a machine.
Families trusted him.
Older clients signed complicated documents.
Money moved through layers of companies.
New client funds covered old withdrawals.
Meanwhile Garrett lived in a six million dollar home, donated to charities, and appeared in financial magazines.
Shawn watched a video of him speaking at a conference.
"Trust," Garrett said on stage, "is the foundation of wealth."
Shawn shut the laptop.
Don was staying temporarily in Shawn's Boston apartment with Maria.
Neither wanted to return to the Miller house yet.
Especially the basement.
Brenda remained in a hotel under police supervision.
On Saturday night she called Shawn.
"He's going to contact me."
"Garrett?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he needs the second release."
"He doesn't know we have it."
"He knows Dad split it."
"How?"
"I told him."
Shawn became angry.
"When?"
"Two years ago."
"Why?"
"He was screaming at Mom. I thought if I told him enough, he'd stop."
Shawn exhaled.
"Did he?"
"For that night."
He could hear the shame in her voice.
"What do you want to do?"
"Use me."
"No."
"He'll call."
"No."
"Shawn, I helped create this."
"You don't fix it by putting yourself in danger."
"I don't get to decide that?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because for three years everyone in this family made decisions alone because they thought they were protecting someone else. Mom protected you. Dad protected Mom. You tried to protect them. I stayed away because I thought money was enough."
He paused.
"No more secret sacrifices."
Brenda said nothing.
Then her phone beeped.
Another call.
She whispered, "It's him."
Shawn immediately contacted Brooks.
Police set up recording equipment.
Brenda answered.
"Hello?"
Garrett spoke calmly.
"Merry Christmas."
She began trembling.
"Where are you?"
"That isn't important."
"The police are looking for you."
"The police are always looking for someone."
"What do you want?"
"You know."
"I don't have it."
"Yes, you do."
Brenda looked at Brooks.
"Half the release?"
Garrett laughed softly.
"Good girl."
Shawn's fists tightened.
Garrett continued.
"Bring it tomorrow."
"Where?"
"I'll tell you."
"I'm not coming alone."
"Then your brother loses Easton."
"Shawn doesn't care about the money."
Garrett's voice hardened.
"Everyone cares about money."
"No."
"Your brother especially."
"You never understood him."
A pause.
Then Garrett said, "And you never understood me."
The line disconnected.
Brooks traced the call to a prepaid device near Concord, New Hampshire.
Police searched the area.
Nothing.
The next morning Garrett sent an address.
An abandoned textile mill outside Lowell.
Brenda was instructed to arrive alone at six that evening.
Police wanted to use the meeting to arrest him.
Shawn opposed it.
Brooks said, "We control the location."
"You think Garrett doesn't expect that?"
"We'll have tactical teams."
"He spent three years planning this."
"Which means he thinks he's smarter than everyone else. That's useful."
Brenda looked at Shawn.
"I need to do it."
He wanted to refuse.
Then Maria spoke from the doorway.
"No."
Everyone turned.
Maria entered with Don beside her.
She looked at Brenda.
"You do not owe us your life."
Brenda began crying.
"Mom."
"You owe us truth."
Maria walked to her daughter.
"And you owe yourself enough courage to accept what comes after the truth."
"I might go to prison."
"Maybe."
Brenda's face crumpled.
Maria hugged her anyway.
It was not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But it was the first touch between them since the basement.
Brenda went to the meeting wearing a hidden microphone.
Police surrounded the mill.
Shawn waited in a surveillance vehicle despite being told repeatedly to stay away.
At six twelve, Garrett appeared.
Not inside the mill.
On a nearby rooftop.
He called Brenda.
"I told you alone."
"I am alone."
"Look left."
She did.
A small red laser appeared on the pavement near her feet.
She froze.
Garrett laughed.
"You brought police."
Brooks ordered teams to move.
Garrett said, "Tell Shawn the sale happens tomorrow."
Then something exploded inside the abandoned mill.
Not a large explosion.
A diversion.
Smoke burst through broken windows.
Police rushed toward it.
By the time teams reached the rooftop, Garrett was gone.
But he had left something behind.
A photograph taped to the railing.
It showed the Miller house.
The photograph had been taken that morning.
May you like
On the back, Garrett had written three words.
CHECK THE TREE.
