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“I was a scared teenager. I didn’t have a fucking choice and you know it! Like I said, do what you want. I’ll stand against you and any court. I’ll tell my side and let the chips fall where they may. I’m done, the deal is off. Now get the fuck out of my office,now!”Andrew sounds like he may explode.
“This isn’t over. You don’t want to end up on my bad side. You know what happens to people on my bad side,”Christopher says just before a door slams.
The recording ends.
My breaths increase, and my heart races as I sit back, trying to slow both. He knows I’m here in Colorado.Don’t panic.Andrew is right. Colorado is a big state.
Trying to calm my nerves, I continue to mentally talk myself off this cliff. It’s unlikely he’ll find me, right? Then again… He tracked me to the state. It might not take much to track me down here, too.
I scrub my hands over my face as the doubt and worry settle deeper. I can’t put everyone around me in danger. What are my options? Where can I go? If I just start packing, what would I tell everyone?
Disappearing from here seems like a much harder decision than leaving Sacramento. Tears burn the back of my eyes, and I press my fingers against my eyelids to hold them off. I willnotcry! I’ll find a way to stay hereandkeep myself and my friends safe. I won’t run anymore. If I run now, I’ll have to run for the rest of my life, and that’s no life at all.
I hit reply on Addy’s email and message her back.
Addy,
Do nothing! Say nothing! I won’t be found that easily. If I am, I’ll find a way out. I can’t run anymore. Christopher may be the monster in this story, but I’m no damsel in distress! I’ll stop at nothing to see him behind bars and our family safe again.
That recording is pretty damning against Christopher. Unfortunately, it is for Andrew, too. What the hell is he talking about? What happened when they were younger? We have to find out!
Christopher hiring a PI is no surprise. I’ll keep my eyes open for anyone new or suspicious around here. I’m in a safe place, close to people willing to help keep me safe. Try not to worry about me. I’m okay, and Iwillbe okay.
All My Love,
-A
I click send and close the email window before opening all the attachments and items I saved on Swank as well as Christopher’s connection to him. I need to print these out so I can lay them out and get the timeline in order. I’ll ask Irene if I can print off what I have on Monday when I go into the café.
The next several hours are spent comparing what I have to what I find online. Everything nearly lines up. Swank exposing Christopher for money laundering is the motive, but why did Swank suddenly decide to get out of the money laundering scheme? I need to do some more digging.
I search “Jonathan Swank and Christopher Gates” on the internet, and hundreds of links pop up. Taking a deep breath, I dive in.Here we go.
The first link is about Swank’s death, and all it says regarding both men is that he and Christopher had worked together at Thompson Financial years ago. I vaguely remember Christopher working there as head of marketing before we moved to Sacramento. We still lived in San Francisco. What did Swank do though?
Next search. “Thompson Financial San Francisco, California.” I click the link to the company website. There’s a picture of Swank. He was the top financial advisor for several years, and he still worked there when he died.
Clicking the next link, I find it’s from an article written yesterday in the San Francisco News. The headline reads:“Jonathan Swank’s Death Uncovers Years of Swindling Money from Thompson Financial Clients.”
Jackpot!
The article says Jonathan had been charging hundreds of clients unauthorized “administrative fees” every month…for years. It’s assumed the money went into his personal account, but currently, there is no proof. The San Francisco district attorney has requested a warrant to seize Swank’s accounts.
The district attorney is quoted as saying,“This is not about bringing Jonathan Swank to justice. Clearly, that will never happen. This is about justice for Swank’s victims. Every person he swindled out of money for his own personal gain. Additionally, we need to determine if Swank acted alone or had accomplices. If accomplices are found, they’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This is it! This is the nail in Christopher’s coffin! They must have hidden that money away all these years in the Cayman Island account under the business name Enterprise International, LLC.
My hands shake with anxious excitement from the implications of what this could mean. Could it really be that easy? This is the proof! But is it enough to have Christopher arrested? I know it’s enough to cast a huge shadow of doubt, but I can’t risk coming out of hiding with only this information alone. I need rock solid, undeniable evidence before I come forward.
I finally feel like it’s all starting to come together. I’m going to get my life back. The amazing thing is that I don’thaveto go back to my life in Sacramento. The life I take back will be whatever I choose. It’ll be one Iwantto live!
My eyes flutter closed as I drift in and out of sleep. I’m too tired to keep my eyes open anymore, and the words on the screen blur together. I close the Chromebook, set it aside, and almost immediately fall into a fitful sleep.
I run as fast as I can, but my progress is slowed when I trip on downed limbs in the forest. It’s pitch black out, no light from town or even the moon to brighten my way. I’m barefoot, and cuts cover the bottoms of my feet. I’m wearing a thin silk pajama set, and it’s freezing cold. Goosebumps pop up over every inch of my body, and my nipples are pebbled to the point of pain.
Blood runs down my face from a cut above my eye. It’s warm against my cold skin for a moment, but the air chills it quickly. I whip my head around to look behind me. I can’t see him, but I hear his pounding footsteps gaining on me.
I pump my legs harder as fatigue settles in every part of my body. My breaths come in short pants, expelling a mist of condensation every time. Where is he? I can’t let him get me.
