Chapter 15 - The Secret Visitor
The federal holding facility upstate was a bleak fortress of reinforced concrete and razor wire, far removed from the glittering towers of Manhattan.
Under a special federal visitor’s clearance arranged by Marcus Vance, I sat alone in a secure glass consultation booth, waiting for the heavy metal door on the opposite side to open.
A guard escorted Vanessa Brooks into the room. She was wearing a standard orange jumpsuit, her blonde hair pulled back into a simple, unstyled ponytail without a trace of makeup. The designer suits and manicured perfection were entirely gone, but the cold, defiant spark in her eyes remained.
She sat down slowly on the metal stool, picking up the heavy black telephone receiver. I picked up mine, separating us by two inches of bulletproof glass.
"Eleanor," Vanessa said, her voice dry and mocking through the static of the speaker. "I must admit, I didn't expect the great chairperson of Whitmore Global to come slumming it in a federal holding facility just to see me.
"Cut the games, Vanessa," I said calmly, my eyes locked onto hers. "We know about the ten-million-dollar wire transfer from Julian Cross’s hidden Liechtenstein account deposited into your Swiss trust two days ago."
For a split second, Vanessa’s composure fractured. Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly forced a thin, confident smile.
"You must be imagining things, Eleanor. I'm a cooperating federal witness. I have no access to money, no phone, and no contact with Julian," she replied smoothly.
"You lied to federal prosecutors about your hidden assets," I continued, ignoring her deflection. "You traded your testimony for a payoff, thinking that once your sentencing is complete, you can walk out of here a multi-millionaire while Julian rots in maximum security. But here is what you don't understand, Vanessa: federal asset forfeiture laws apply retroactively to hidden proceeds of conspiracy. That ten million dollars was flagged the second it touched European clearinghouses."
Vanessa’s smile vanished completely. Her fingernails dug into the wooden shelf beneath the glass partition. "You can't touch that money! It was a gift! It’s legally protected!"
"Nothing acquired through extortion and corporate fraud is legally protected, Vanessa," I said, standing up and buttoning my coat. "You thought you could outsmart us twice. But you were just a pawn in Julian's game, and now you're going to prison for the full fifteen years without a single penny to show for it."
"Wait! Eleanor, wait!" Vanessa panicked, pressing her palm against the glass as I turned toward the exit. "If you help me with the prosecutor... if you get my sentence reduced... I can tell you what Julian is really planning!"
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I paused, turning my head slightly over my shoulder, looking at her with absolute detachment.
"Keep your secrets, Vanessa," I said quietly into my collar mic. "We already know everything we need to know."
