Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of Tessa
Tessa let out a high-pitched shriek as the officer grabbed Grant’s wrist and forced his arm behind his back.
"This is a mistake!" Grant screamed, struggling against the restraint. "My wife set me up! Look at her! She’s cold! She planned this! She’s crazy!"
"You have the right to remain silent," the officer recited impassively, pushing Grant against the marble wall near the coat rack.
Tessa backed away, clutching her expensive leather handbag against her chest. "I don't know anything about this!" she stammered, looking frantically at the police. "I’m just his guest! I came here for dinner!"
"Miss Tessa Vance?" the investigator asked, pulling a second sheet of paper from his coat pocket.
Tessa froze. "Yes?"
"You are named as a co-conspirator in a federal wire fraud indictment involving the illegal transfer of funds across state lines," the investigator said. "Drop the bag and put your hands behind your back."
"What?!" Tessa screamed, her eyes wide with terror. She spun around to look at Grant. "You said the money was legal! You said your wife didn't care! You told me she was giving you a divorce!"
"Shut up, Tessa!" Grant bellowed from the wall. "Don't say another word!"
"I won't shut up!" Tessa sobbed as a second officer handcuffed her wrists behind her back. Her glittering green dress looked absurd under the harsh light of the police flashlights. "You ruined my life! You told me you were a millionaire!"
May you like
I walked over to the front table, picked up my purse, and gathered my children’s hands once more.
"I told you downstairs, Tessa," I said quietly as she was led past me in tears. "That was an interesting decision."
