Page 29 of Drowning in Lies

Chris grilled some burgers for us for dinner, and as we finished eating, I got a call from Mike.

"The Feds have tentatively agreed to let us maintain jurisdiction for the time being.The agreement should be formalized in the morning, and then we will be able to get a judge to issue the arrest warrants.What time is the funeral service?"

"The visitation starts at 1:00 pm, and the funeral begins at 3:00 pm," I said. "Why?"

"Well, depending on the timing of things, we may end up taking them into custody at the funeral home.I don't want to take a chance that they pull a runner after the service. Do you have a problem with that?"

"You mean, do I care if you interrupt my bastard of a husband's funeral to arrest his sleazy brother and skanky mistress, in front of God and everybody?Why, no, I don't have a problem with that at all."The sincerity of my statement was clear, despite my sarcasm."Be my guest, Detective."

He chuckled."Well, we just might do that then.I'll call you in the morning.Have a good night, Lila."

The next day, I took Chris's suggestion about the visitation, and he called Scott to let him know that I was simply too distraught to attend that part of the service, and that Scott and their Aunt Jenny would need to represent the family.He assured him that I would be there for the funeral itself, and Scott agreed to handle things until I got there.Chris called the funeral director and gave him the same story.

Mike called shortly after 10:00 am with the news that the FBI had formally agreed to hold off on taking over jurisdiction. He confirmed that he would be at the funeral home for the service, with a couple of uniformed police officers outside in case they tried to slip out early.

"I'll just be blending in with the crowd. They've never met me, so I'll say I'm an old friend of your family's if they ask."

Sherry tried to get me to eat lunch before we left the house, but I couldn't force down more than a couple of bites.I just wanted to get this over with.

I was a bundle of nerves by the time we reached the funeral home about ten minutes before the funeral was scheduled to start. Scott spotted me and crossed the room to greet me.The look on his face could almost be mistaken for sympathy if I hadn't seen those disgusting videos for myself.Chris interrupted us almost immediately, drawing me away under the guise of needing to speak with the funeral director.

"Thank you," I murmured to him as we walked away.

"No problem, honey.You know I've got your back. Did you notice that James is here with Mike?" he asked quietly, nodding to a back corner of the room.I hadn't noticed either of them there, but as I looked over, Mike gave me a small smile and James gave me a little tilt of his head in acknowledgement.

The funeral director called everyone's attention to the start of the service, and I spent the next twenty minutes listening to him speak about how precious the gift of life was, how every moment should be celebrated, and how every memory should be cherished.He had been so kind and compassionate in helping me with the arrangements. The poor man had no idea of the shitshow that was about to take place.

I sat stoically, gritting my teeth as I listened to Scott give a heartfelt eulogy for my husband, followed by Vanessa, who sang a tearful rendition of Amazing Grace. She could barely get the words out, her voice breaking as she tried to hold in her sobs.

I caught the eye of the funeral director as he started wrapping up the service, indicating that I wanted to speak. He nodded, and I stepped forward from my seat in the front row. Taking my spot behind the podium, I looked out over the sea of faces, not stopping on any one face in particular until my gaze landed on Scott, who was handing a tissue to a still-sobbing Vanessa as she sat next to him at the end of the front row.

"I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Scott and Vanessa foreverythingthey've done." Vanessa looked up at me with a tearful smile, and Scott nodded his head slightly.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a few seconds, needing to center myself for this next part. When I opened my eyes, I kept my gaze steady on the two of them.

"Scott spoke lovingly of David's generosity, but he didn't make mention of just exactly how very generous David was. In fact, I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn that David actually gave Scott over three million dollars in the past two years. The fact Scott was blackmailing David, and that the money was embezzled frommyinvestment portfolio as well as the architectural firmisworth mentioning though, I think, don't you?" I said with a smile and nodded, as if expecting my stunned audience to agree with me. Scott sat frozen, eyes widening in horror as my words sank in.

"And Vanessa, the way your voice broke when you got to the line 'and saved a wretch like me', well, it was very touching. Unfortunately, there's simply no saving a wretch like you, honey." I ignored the shocked gasps and agitated whispers as I continued. "For those who may be wondering why poor Vanessa is so very devastated today, I suspect it's because she's been sleeping with my husband for the past five months. Why, they becameso closethat she even slept in my bed frequently while I was out of town caring for my mother during her extended illness," my voice dripped with biting sarcasm as I delivered those words in a sweetly saccharine tone.

By this point, Scott was standing up, obviously ready to bolt. Vanessa's sobs had turned to outraged screeches as she tugged on Scott's arm, clearly worried he was about to take off without her. My attention was caught by the two uniformed police officers who slipped in unnoticed at the back of the room. I couldn't help the triumphant smile that crossed my lips as I watched the scene unfolding before me, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Mike and James both headed toward the front row, the uniformed officers right on their heels.I vaguely registered Chris speaking urgently to the funeral director, who had stepped forward to intercede.He took a step back as Chris finished speaking, so presumably Chris had convinced him to stay out of it.

As the funeral attendees looked on in shock, I saw Mike and James approach Scott and Vanessa respectively, handcuffs out at the ready.

"Scott Montgomery, you are under arrest for mortgage fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, possession and distribution of controlled substances and extortion."

"Vanessa Caldwell, you are under arrest for mortgage fraud and embezzlement."

"You have the right to remain silent...."

Chapter 16: The Handcuffs

The sound of the handcuffs clicking into place was immensely satisfying, and I had to stifle the urge to laugh out loud as I listened to their Miranda rights being read aloud to them.Scott was clearly enraged.He was scowling, jaw clenched, veins popping out on his neck, eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead.It was a glorious sight.

Vanessa was even better. The poor dear looked so confused about what was happening - she really wasn't very bright.Her gaze kept swinging from Scott to Mike to James and back, as though she were searching for salvation from one of them. Scott refused to look at her, and Mike and James both ignored her questions.

"What's going on?What are you doing? Why are you putting those on me?"She was pale, and her lower lip quivered.Her earlier over-the-top sobs had given way to silent tears as she realized her life was imploding. I snickered as I took a good look at the handcuffs now encircling her wrists.The silver cuffs looked amazing next tomygoddamned diamond tennis bracelet.

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