Chapter 3 - THE ARREST AND THE UNEXPECTED ALLY
Red and blue emergency lights flashed across the wet limestone driveway as two police officers led Maya out of the gatehouse in handcuffs.
Neighbours from the exclusive coastal enclave stood near the wrought-iron gates, whispering and pointing as the wet, disheveled maid was pushed into the back of a police cruiser.
"Look at her," a woman whispered. "Trying to drown a motherless baby... sick..."
Maya sat in the hard plastic backseat of the police car, her forehead pressed against the cold glass window. She didn't cry anymore. The shock had burned away, leaving a hard, sharp core of anger beneath her grief. She knew that if she went to prison, Leo would be left entirely at the mercy of Victoria Sterling. And next time, Victoria wouldn't fail.
The police cruiser pulled away from the Vance estate, heading toward the county jail in downtown Charleston.
Sitting in the front passenger seat was Detective Thomas Reed—a veteran investigator with graying hair, sharp blue eyes, and a reputation for being entirely unimpressed by wealthy families.
"Kid," Reed said, without turning around, looking at Maya through the rearview mirror. "You're in a world of trouble. The Vance family has enough money to buy the entire prosecutor's office. Attempted murder of an infant... you're looking at twenty years minimum."
"I didn't do it, Detective," Maya said, her voice steady despite her trembling body.
"They all say that, kid."
"If I wanted to kill him, why were my lungs full of pool water?" Maya demanded, leaning forward as far as her handcuffs allowed. "Check the paramedic report! The first officer on the scene noted that my core temperature had dropped because I was in the water pulling the baby out! If I pushed him in and was caught, why didn't I just run away? Why was I holding him, warming him with my own body, when Arthur Vance came out?"
Detective Reed narrowed his eyes in the mirror. He picked up a notepad and made a quick mark.
"The camera system short-circuited," Maya continued fiercely. "Convenient, isn't it? Victoria Sterling arrives at the estate three weeks ago. Suddenly, the estate servers glitch, the nanny is accused, and the only person left between Victoria and the Vance trust fund is a six-month-old baby."
Reed remained quiet for a long moment. He had worked high-society cases long enough to know that the dirtiest monsters rarely wore rags—they usually wore designer dresses.
"Victoria Sterling," Reed said slowly. "She's the sister of the late Clara Vance, right?"
"Yes," Maya said. "Clara died in a car crash a year ago."
"I worked that crash," Reed murmured softly, almost to himself. "Single vehicle rollover on the coastal highway. Brakes failed on a rainy night."
Maya felt a jolt of electricity run down her spine. "Brakes failed?"
Reed didn't answer immediately. He looked out the window at the rain. "The crash was ruled an accident. But Clara’s estate was worth eighty million dollars. Victoria was heavily in debt to several offshore gambling syndicates at the time. After Clara died, Victoria's debts magically vanished."
Maya’s breath caught in her throat. "She killed her sister... and now she's going after Leo."
Reed turned around in his seat, looking at Maya directly for the first time. "I can't just let you go, Maya. The evidence on paper looks terrible for you. Arthur Vance wants your head on a spike. But I’m not booking you into county jail tonight."
May you like
"What?" Maya blinked.
"I'm holding you in protective custody at the precinct for seventy-two hours," Reed said quietly. "That gives me three days to look into those blank security tapes. But if I find out you're lying to me, girl... God help you."
