Chapter 7 - The Eviction at the Estate
By two o'clock that afternoon, a cold, driving rain had settled over Chicago’s North Shore.
The heavy iron gates of the Vale estate did not open politely. Two heavy tactical vehicles from the United States Marshals Service pushed through the entrance, followed by three armored transport vans and four moving trucks.
Inside the limestone mansion, the grand kitchen that had smelled of grease and cruelty was in a state of chaotic, panicked evacuation.
Olivia Vale was screaming hysterically as two federal asset seizure officers methodically tagged every luxury item in the foyer: antique bronzes, oil paintings, and the custom crystal chandeliers.
"Take your hands off that!" Olivia shrieked, clawing at an officer’s sleeve as he packed her diamond collection into an evidence container. "My father bought that for my sixteenth birthday! You have no right to touch my personal jewelry!"
"Every diamond in this house was purchased using funds stolen from Evelyn Vance's estate, Miss Vale," I said, walking through the arched entryway.
Olivia spun around, her face twisting into animal hatred. "You! You disgusting, scheming bitch! You ruined our lives! You put my brother and father in chains!"
"Your family put themselves in chains the day they poisoned an innocent woman and treated human beings like disposable tools," I replied, walking past her into the kitchen.
I stopped at the marble island where Adrian had stood with the rag fourteen hours earlier.
I pulled a pair of clean white linen towels from my coat pocket, sprayed a concentrated cleaning solution across the marble surface, and methodically wiped away the faint yellow ring of grease left from yesterday morning.
"You have thirty minutes to gather your clothing and leave the premises, Olivia," I said without looking up. "After thirty minutes, anyone remaining on this property will be booked for criminal trespass on federal asset-forfeiture land."
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"You're throwing me into the street?!" Olivia cried, her makeup running in black streaks down her face. "Where am I supposed to go?! My credit cards are declined! I have no cash!"
"That sounds like a personal management issue," I replied, tossing the soiled linen towel directly into the trash bin beneath the counter. "You told your brother to lock me in a room so I could learn the rules. Here is your first lesson: get off my property."
