Chapter 70
Chapter 70
CHARLOTTE
11
I sat in the cramped office across from Sam, my private investigator. His dingy suit hung awkwardly off his wiry frame, his face as unreadable as ever. Sam wasn’t the friendliest man, nor the most polished, but he had a knack for digging up secrets people wanted to stay buried. That’s why I hired him–and paid him well.
He tapped the thick file that now sat on his desk, pushing it toward me. “Here’s everything on her,” he said. “Rita, the cleaner. Full background, details on her life, you name it.”
I didn’t waste time. Flipping the file open, the first thing that greeted me was a slightly grainy photo of Rita, leaving what looked like an old, crumbling apartment building. She was wearing a cheap jacket, clutching a grocery bag. Her expression? Exhausted.
“Go on,” I said, glancing up at him. “Don’t make me sift through all this. Just tell me what I need to know.”
Sam leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Rita Martinez. Age twenty–six. Works as a cleaner, as you know. Parents died five years ago in a car accident–a nasty one. They left behind three kids, including Rita. Her younger sister, Melody. was in the car, too. She survived but was severely injured. Left her paralyzed from the waist down. She’s thirteen now.”
He pulled out a smaller picture and slid it across the desk. I picked it up. The girl in the photo was pale, almost sickly, her legs hidden beneath a wheelchair. Her hair was tied into two uneven pigtails. She looked fragile, as if a stiff wind could knock her over.
“That’s Melody,” Sam continued. “The younger brother, David, is eighteen. No steady job. Just does odd jobs here and there. It’s Rita who keeps the family afloat. She’s been working her fingers to the bone since their parents died, trying to provide for the three of them. Melody’s care is expensive. No insurance payout from the accident–it’s all out of pocket.”
He handed me another photo, this one of a skinny boy sitting on the steps of the same apartment building. He looked young and lost, his shoulders slumped, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.
I studied the pictures for a moment, then looked back at Sam. “So, let me get this straight. This woman–this cleaner–has been working minimum wage to play mommy and daddy to these two? And now she thinks she can blackmail me? What a joke.”
Sam shrugged, his expression neutral. “People do desperate things when they’re cornered. She’s probably at the end of her rope. Bills piling up. No other options. Blackmail might’ve seemed like the only way out.”
“Desperation,” I muttered, letting the word hang in the air. “That’s what this is. A desperate woman trying to claw her way out of a hole by dragging me down with her.”
I turned back to the pictures, focusing on Melody. Her wide, innocent eyes stared back at me. For a moment, I felt…nothing. No pity. No sympathy. Just amusement.
“They’re pathetic,” I said, tossing the photo back onto the desk. “A pathetic little family clinging to each other like rats on a sinking ship. And Rita… She actually thought she could threaten me and walk away unscathed?”
Sam didn’t respond, though I caught the slightest flicker of something in his eyes. Disapproval? Discomfort? I couldn’t tell, and frankly, I didn’t care.
“Is this all?” I asked, snapping the file shut.
“Everything’s there,” he confirmed. “Her address, her work schedule, even some places she frequents. I’ve been thorough.”
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Chapter 70
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“Good,” I said, standing up and smoothing out my dress. “You always are. I’ll transfer the rest of your payment tomorrow.”
*Pleasure doing business,” he said, though his tone lacked enthusiasm.
I grabbed the file and headed for the door. But just as I reached it, I paused and turned back to him.
“Sam,” I said lightly, “you didn’t share this with anyone else, did you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t share my work, Charlotte. You know that.”
“Good,” I said, flashing him a sharp smile. “Because if I find out otherwise…”
“You won’t,” he said, cutting me off.
Satisfied, I nodded and left.
The cold air outside hit me as I walked to my car, but I hardly noticed. My mind was spinning with plans, possibilities. Rita thought she was clever, but she didn’t know who she was dealing with.
I climbed into the driver’s seat, tossed the file onto the passenger side, and grabbed my phone. Without hesitation, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in months.
The line clicked after a couple of rings. “Yeah?” a gruff voice answered.
“It’s Charlotte,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “I have a job for you.”
There was a pause, then a chuckle. “Didn’t think I’d hear from you again. What kind of job?”
“The kind that requires discretion,” I said coolly. “And precision. I need you and your men to pick up two kids. A boy, eighteen, and a girl, thirteen. I’ll send you their details—their names, their address, everything. I want it done cleanly. No mess, no mistakes.”
Another pause. “Kids?” he repeated, his voice tinged with something I couldn’t quite place.
“Yes, kids,” I snapped. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Depends,” he said. “What’s the payout?”
“Generous,” I said. “Very generous. You’ll walk away happy.”
There was a low whistle on the other end. “Alright. Send me the details. We’ll take care of it.”
“Not yet,” I said sharply. “I’ll let you know when. For now, I just need you to be ready.”
He chuckled again, rough and unsettling. “You’re playing a dangerous game, lady.”
“I don’t play games,” I said coldly. “This is business. Are you in or not?”
“Yeah, I’m in,” he said. “Just don’t come crying if things go sideways.”
“They won’t,” I said firmly. “And remember–discretion. If this gets messy, it’s on you.”
“Understood,” he said before hanging up.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the phone in my hand. A faint smile tugged at my lips.
9/3
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Chapter 70
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“Good,” I said, standing up and smoothing out my dress. “You always are. I’ll transfer the rest of your payment tomorrow.”
“Pleasure doing business,” he said, though his tone lacked enthusiasm.
1 grabbed the file and headed for the door. But just as I reached it, I paused and turned back to him.
“Sam,” I said lightly, “you didn’t share this with anyone else, did you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t share my work, Charlotte. You know that.”
“Good,” I said, flashing him a sharp smile. “Because if I find out otherwise…”
“You won’t,” he said, cutting me off.
Satisfied, I nodded and left.
The cold air outside hit me as I walked to my car, but I hardly noticed. My mind was spinning with plans, possibilities. Rita thought she was clever, but she didn’t know who she was dealing with.
13
I climbed into the driver’s seat, tossed the file onto the passenger side, and grabbed my phone. Without hesitation, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in months.
The line clicked after a couple of rings. “Yeah?” a gruff voice answered.
“It’s Charlotte,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “I have a job for you.”
There was a pause, then a chuckle. “Didn’t think I’d hear from you again. What kind of job?”
“The kind that requires discretion,” I said coolly. “And precision. I need you and your men to pick up two kids. A boy, eighteen, and a girl, thirteen. I’ll send you their details–their names, their address, everything. I want it done cleanly. No mess, no mistakes.”
Another pause. “Kids?” he repeated, his voice tinged with something I couldn’t quite place.
“Yes, kids,” I snapped. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Depends,” he said. “What’s the payout?”
“Generous,” I said. “Very generous. You’ll walk away happy.”
There was a low whistle on the other end. “Alright. Send me the details. We’ll take care of it.”
“Not yet,” I said sharply. “I’ll let you know when. For now, I just need you to be ready.”
He chuckled again, rough and unsettling. “You’re playing a dangerous game, lady.”
“I don’t play games,” I said coldly. “This is business. Are you in or not?”
“Yeah, I’m in,” he said. “Just don’t come crying if things go sideways.”
“They won’t,” I said firmly. “And remember–discretion. If this gets messy, it’s on you.”
“Understood,” he said before hanging up.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the phone in my hand. A faint smile tugged at my lips.
14:39 Tue, 18 Feb
Chapter 70
Rita thought she could corner me, but she didn’t realize how high the stakes were. She thought her siblings were her strength, but they were her weakness. And I was going to exploit that.
“Game on,” I muttered, starting the car.
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