The night air outside the grand villa was cool and quiet compared to the ballroom.
Evelyn helped Sophia into the back seat of their modest family sedan.
She carefully buckled the seatbelt across her child's chest to keep her secure.
Sophia wiped her nose with the sleeve of her soft pink sweater gently.
Sophia: Why was that loud man being so mean to us Mommy?
Evelyn: Some people let their money make them feel superior to everyone else.
Evelyn closed the car door softly and walked around to the driver's side.
She sat behind the steering wheel and took a deep steadying breath before starting the engine.
Her mind began reviewing every single detail from the moment they arrived at the party.
They had walked through the front doors around six o'clock in the evening.
Richard's wife Victoria had been showing off a rare diamond ring to several guests.
The valuable ring had belonged to the Sterling family estate for over three generations.
It was kept inside a small glass display box near the main entrance corridor.
Sophia had only gone near that table to pick up a fallen yellow pencil.
Evelyn remembered seeing another person standing near the glass box at that exact moment.
It was Richard's younger brother Julian, who was deep in heavy debt.
Julian had been arguing with a mortgage lender outside the front entrance earlier that night.
Evelyn put the car into drive and slowly pulled away from the large driveway.
She knew that leaving the scene would make them look guilty to the police.
However, protecting her child from public humiliation was her top priority at that moment.
She needed to find real proof before Richard ruined her family reputation completely.
Her phone began ringing loudly from inside her dark leather purse on the passenger seat.
The caller ID displayed the name of her older brother Arthur Sterling.
Arthur was the head executor of the large Sterling family trust fund estate.
Evelyn pressed the green button on her car dashboard speaker system to answer.
Arthur: Evelyn, where did you go after that terrible argument ended?
Evelyn: I took Sophia home because Richard was screaming false accusations at her.
Arthur: Richard is calling the police department right now to file formal theft charges.
Evelyn gripped the leather steering wheel tighter as anger flared up inside her again.
Evelyn: He is lying Arthur, and I am going to prove it tomorrow morning.