Chapter 6 - THE UNRAVELING WEBWith Gregory behind bars and Patricia facing concurrent charges of conspiracy, forgery, and breaking and entering, I thought the worst was behind me.
I was wrong.
On Saturday evening, while reviewing the forensic financial audit of Gregory's offshore accounts, my phone pinged with an alert from my home security system.
Front Door Motion Detected.
I froze. I checked the live camera feed on my tablet.
Standing outside my condo door wasn't a police officer, a process server, or a debt collector. It was a tall, imposing man in an expensive dark trench coat, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora that cast a deep shadow over his face.
In his gloved hand, he wasn't holding flowers or legal papers. He was holding a heavy-duty industrial crowbar.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but my training kicked in instantly. I didn't panic. I didn't scream. I quietly unlocked the holster of my concealed-carry safe, slid my licensed compact 9mm pistol into my jacket pocket, and walked silently toward the entryway.
On the monitor, the man jammed the crowbar into the door frame and gave a powerful heave. The reinforced steel buckled with a loud crack.
He stepped inside my foyer, scanning the darkened hallway.
"I know you're home, Eleanor," a deep, gravelly voice echoed through the apartment. "Gregory couldn't finish the job. But debts have to be paid. And you're sitting on a goldmine."
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My blood ran cold. This wasn't just a random burglar or an associate of Gregory's. This was someone far more dangerous—someone Gregory owed a very dark, very illegal debt to.
And he had just walked right into my killing zone.
