“Mr. Mercer, please step away.”
Julian froze.
Two investigators and local officers entered through the rear doorway.
One of them immediately moved between us.
Nobody shouted.
Nobody fought.
Nobody was hurt.
Julian looked around the room as though he were trying to understand how quickly everything had changed.
Then his eyes lifted toward one of the small security cameras above the kitchen cabinets.
His face went pale.
The investigator asked him to keep his hands visible.
He complied.
Within minutes, Julian was escorted from the house for questioning.
I remained standing beside the kitchen island.
The untouched cup was still sitting in front of me.
For the first time since Caleb’s phone call, I could finally breathe normally.
The investigation lasted for months.
What authorities found was far more complicated than I had originally imagined.
Julian’s company had accumulated substantial debts.
Several financial commitments had gone badly.
Investigators also uncovered irregularities connected to the insurance applications bearing my name.
