Chapter 54 - The Shadow Syndicate
By the time I landed back at Sea-Tac, Marcus was waiting at the arrivals curb in the armored sedan. The windshield wipers beat a steady rhythm against the torrential rain as we merged onto the I-5 North.
"Did she give you anything?" Marcus asked without taking his eyes off the road.
"She broke," I said, rubbing my temples. "Arthur Montgomery didn't just hide a secret son. He hid a subterranean storage room during the original 1991 excavation, directly beneath the wine cellar's foundation. It was constructed before the county building inspector even stamped the first foundation permit. Eleanor said there’s a vault containing original corporate bearer bonds, uncut stones, and the true, unredacted chain of title for the entire Whispering Pines portfolio."
Marcus gave a tight nod. "That explains why Julian is moving so fast. My investigators dug into his European footprint. He’s not a billionaire heir, Lauren. He's up to his neck in predatory bridge loans from an offshore syndicate called Vesper Capital. They fronted him twenty million dollars to buy distressed assets, and Maplewood Court is the collateral he pledged. If he doesn't deliver the title and the contents of that vault by Friday, Vesper's enforcers will tear him apart."
"Which means he's desperate," I realized. "Desperate men make mistakes."
"Desperate men also bring sledgehammers," Marcus replied darkly. "Thirty minutes ago, the security team at Maplewood reported that Julian’s crew set up barricades at the front entrance. They brought in a private locksmith and heavy drilling equipment. They’re claiming the emergency writ gives them the right to access the entire structure to prevent 'waste and destruction of property.'"
"Call Judge Higgins' clerk," I said, pulling out my phone. "Get an emergency stay of the writ based on the fraudulent non-disclosure of Julian’s foreign creditor interest. If Julian is operating on behalf of an unregistered foreign entity, he cannot enforce a state writ of possession without federal clearance."
"On it," Marcus said, dialing through the hands-free console.
May you like
As the car accelerated into the dusk, I felt the battle lines sharpening. Julian had the law on his side for now, but he was running out of time. And the house he was trying to conquer held secrets that even he didn't fully comprehend.
***
