Chapter 9 — The Police Arrival — Then Officers Recover the Full Ledger of Stolen Household Funds
Two uniformed officers stepped through the open back door of the kitchen.
The bright overhead lights reflected off their shiny badges.
The leading officer held a small plastic evidence bag in his gloved hand.
He looked around the quiet room, taking in Clara, Allison, and the weeping children.
“Which one of you placed the emergency call?” the officer asked.
“I did,” Clara said.
She lowered her phone from her ear.
She pointed directly toward the kitchen island where the black handbag and the scattered receipts lay.
“That woman right there stole household funds and planted evidence to frame my sister.”
Martha stood frozen against the counter.
She kept her hands shoved deep inside the pockets of her grey sweater.
“I didn’t do anything,” Martha muttered.
Her voice lacked any real conviction.
The second officer walked over to the center island.
He bent down to pick up the long grocery receipt and the loose cash bills scattered across the floor.
“Is this the property in question?” the officer asked, holding up the roll of bills.
“Yes,” Clara said.
“And I have the bank withdrawal slips that match the exact total.”
Clara reached into her pocket and handed a printed paper to the officer.
The officer examined the slip closely.
He pulled a small UV flashlight from his utility belt and scanned the serial numbers on the cash.
He compared the numbers on the bills against the numbers printed on the bank slip Clara had provided.
“The serial numbers match the bank records from yesterday morning,” the officer said, looking up at his partner.
“Let’s secure the rest of the ledger.”
The first officer stepped closer to Martha.
“Ma’am, I need you to take your hands out of your pockets and turn around.”
“I want a lawyer,” Martha said sharply.
She refused to move her hands from her pockets.
“You are not being formally questioned right now,” the officer said.
“We are securing the scene and collecting the evidence.”
The officer gently pulled Martha’s hands out of her sweater pockets.
As her hands came free, a small leather-bound ledger slipped from her grip.
It hit the tile floor with a soft thud right beside the officer’s boots.