Chapter 14 - The Prison Call from Danbury
Beatrice’s aristocratic facade cracked for a fraction of a second.
"Camden presented certified corporate resolutions from your board," she said, her voice tightening slightly.
"He presented forged papers created on Alden letterhead," I replied calmly.
"And the only reason those papers survived until today is because you never expected me to survive the scandal."
I turned on my heel and walked out of the conference room, leaving Beatrice standing alone with her useless threats.
Two hours later, while parked outside the Royal Courts of Justice, my secure satellite line rang again.
The caller ID did not display Marcus or my legal counsel.
It displayed the automated operator from Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut.
"You have a collect call from an inmate: Camden Pierce," the robotic voice announced.
"Press five to accept."
I pressed five and held the phone to my ear, listening to the hollow echo of the penitentiary.
"Vivian? Vivian, please don't hang up!" Camden’s voice came tumbling through the speaker.
He was panting, his tone frantic, broken, and completely unmoored.
The smooth, charming man who once lived in my penthouse sounded like an animal caught in a bear trap.
"You have thirty seconds, Camden," I said coldly.
"Make them count."
"My mother... she found you in London, didn't she?" he wept, coughing violently into the receiver.
"She was behind Vanguard Apex all along," I said.
"You were her dog on a leash, Camden."
"You don't understand, Vivian!" he cried out, his voice cracking into hysterics.
"She threatened to ruin me if I didn't get those signatures!"
"She controlled the accounts in Zurich!"
"Vivian, they came to my cell block this morning."
"Two men transferred in from maximum security."
"They told me if I ever tell you about the Zurich Black Box, I won't make it to my trial."
I stiffened in the leather seat of the Bentley.
"What Black Box, Camden?"
"Zurich... Bank Julius Bär," Camden sobbed as a corrections officer's whistle blew sharply in the background.
"Account number eight-eight-zero-two."
"It's not just our money, Vivian."
"She washed foreign money through your father’s name!"
May you like
"She set you up to take the fall for international treason!"
The line went dead with a violent clatter of metal.
