Chapter 14 - The Broken Contract
Z
The day of Jessica’s release came quietly on a chilly morning in November.
I did not go to the prison gates to meet her. Instead, Maria Sanchez drove me into the city for our weekly lunch at a small Italian bistro we had frequented for decades.
As we were eating our pasta, Maria’s eyes suddenly widened as she looked past my shoulder toward the glass front window of the restaurant.
"Eleanor," Maria whispered, leaning in across the table. "Don't turn around quickly... but look at the curb."
I glanced casually over my shoulder. Parked by the fire hydrant was a beat-up black sedan. Inside sat two men in dark jackets, their eyes fixed intently on the entrance of the bistro. One of them held a digital camera with a long telephoto lens pointed directly at me.
"Who are they?" I asked, turning back to my plate without showing any panic.
"I don't know, but they’ve been following us since we left your driveway," Maria said, her voice laced with worry. "I thought it was just bad traffic, but they pulled over right after we parked."
I reached into my handbag, pulled out my phone, and called Detective Ramirez at the State Police Financial Crimes Division.
"Detective Ramirez," I said calmly when he answered. "I am being surveilled by two unidentified men in a black sedan, plate number 7-ALPHA-KILO-82."
"Where are you right now, Mrs. Hayes?" Ramirez’s tone immediately sharpened.
"At Luigi’s Bistro on Main Street."
"Stay inside the restaurant, Eleanor. I am running that plate right now... wait." A pause filled the line, followed by the heavy sound of keyboard keys clacking rapidly. "Eleanor, that vehicle is registered to a private asset recovery firm operating out of Miami. They work directly for the offshore private equity group that backed Apex Capital Holdings."
My eyes narrowed. "Apex Capital? But they got their $240,000 back when the escrow was frozen."
"They got the principal back, but Vincent Cole owed them over $80,000 in liquidated legal fees and default interest penalties," Ramirez explained rapidly. "When Vincent went to prison, the equity group hired private investigators to track down any hidden assets linked to the Cole family. They must have caught wind of Jessica’s parole release today and are hoping she leads them to off-shore accounts or assets Vincent might have stashed away."
"They think Jessica has hidden money?"
"Or they think you do," Ramirez warned. "Private corporate investigators can be ruthless when hunting down debts. I’m sending a patrol unit to your location right now to clear them off."
Ten minutes later, two marked police cruisers pulled up behind the black sedan with their lights flashing. Detective Ramirez himself stepped out, walked up to the driver’s window, and flashed his badge. Through the restaurant window, I watched as the two men were forced out of the car, their camera confiscated, and their credentials thoroughly checked.
Detective Ramirez walked into the bistro, stepping up to our table with a stern look on his face.
"They’ve been formally warned for stalking and illegal surveillance, Mrs. Hayes," Ramirez said. "They claim they were just taking pictures for a private civil suit, but I told them if they set foot within a mile of your property, I’ll throw them in county jail."
"Thank you, Detective," I said softly.
May you like
"Vincent Cole created a vast web of dangerous enemies, Eleanor," Ramirez said, placing a protective hand on the back of my chair. "Even behind bars, his past continues to catch up with anyone connected to him. You need to keep your security system armed at all times."
I nodded, feeling a quiet chill run down my spine. Vincent was locked in a steel cell for twenty-two years, but the toxic ripples of his life were still trying to wash up on my shore.
