Chapter 1
At 2:27 a.m., my dad called unexpectedly, "Honey... I'm at the police station. Your sister-in-law beat me with a baseball bat. But she told the police I attacked her because I'm mentally ill. Your brother just stood by and let it happen!" When I walked in, the officer turned pale and stammered, "Ma'am, I... I..."
Over the course of a dozen years in federal law enforcement, I have questioned cold-blooded criminals and brought down massive syndicates.
Nothing, however, prepares you for the sight of your father trembling in a police station in the middle of the night.
I shoved through the main entrance of the Franklin County Police Department and found him curled on a cold seat, his face aged by sudden, intense terror.
Near him, my sister-in-law, Vanessa Brooks, was putting on the show of a lifetime.
She sobbed into a tissue, pointing toward her shoulder as if she had been the victim of a brutal attack.
"He is dangerous!" Vanessa yelled for all to hear. "You have to put him in a mental ward tonight before he dies or hurts someone else!"
It was an intricately planned trap.
They were trying to fabricate a mental break to gain control of my father's assets.
Their one fatal error: they had forgotten exactly who their daughter was.
Ignoring her, I strode straight to the booking officer.
"I am demanding that every word this woman says from this point forward be captured on official audio recording, as she is currently under oath."
Officer Hayes leaned back, eyes rolling with annoyance.
"Ma'am, sit down and leave the local police work to us."
I remained silent.
I reached for my jacket, pulled out my badge, and opened the wallet to display the shield.
The metallic shine of the federal insignia glinted under the fluorescent bulbs.
"I am not making a request, Hayes," I said, my tone deadly calm. "End this facade right now."
Hayes straightened up, his face losing all color, as he scrambled for his radio.
I turned my focus to my father, pulling him up to help him gain his balance.
As he moved, he stumbled, gasping in agony.
I lunged to catch his arm, preventing a fall.
The force of the movement pulled his sweater sleeve upward.
May you like
My gaze fixed on his bruised, fragile skin.
Every drop of blood in my body turned to ice.
