The heavy kitchen doors pushed open, and two uniformed city police officers marched into the bright white room, led by Detective Vance in a dark grey coat.
Detective Vance: Captain Sterling! We received your emergency dispatch call. What's the situation here?
Carter: Detective Vance, take a look at my daughters' faces.
Detective Vance knelt down beside Lily and Mia, his eyes narrowing as he examined the dark red finger marks printed across their pale cheeks. He looked up at the oversized maid uniforms hanging loosely off their small shoulders.
Detective Vance: Who did this to these young ladies, Captain?
Carter: That woman standing near the pantry. Victoria Vance.
Victoria: Detective, listen to me! I am Victoria Vance! My father is Edward Vance, the senior board member of Vance Logistics!
Detective Vance: I don't care if your father is the governor, ma'am. Did you put those uniforms on these children?
Victoria: It was a household discipline program! They broke expensive property!
Carter: Hand the detective the smartphone, Henderson.
Henderson walked forward, handing his phone to Detective Vance. The detective tapped the play button on the security video. The high-definition recording filled the quiet kitchen with the sound of Victoria screaming at the young girls, forcing them into the maid clothes, and slapping Mia across the face.
Detective Vance: This video is crystal clear, ma'am. This isn't discipline. This is felony child abuse and physical assault on minors.
Victoria: That video was taken without my consent! It's inadmissible in court!
Detective Vance: Security cameras inside a private residence owned by Captain Sterling are completely legal, Miss Vance.
Carter: Also inspect these documents, Detective. She hid my late wife's stolen lockets in her handbag and forged my signature on an emergency trust fund petition.
Detective Vance picked up the cream folder and the gold lockets from the marble island, placing them into clear evidence bags.
Detective Vance: Falsification of state trust documents, grand larceny of family heirlooms, and felony child abuse. That's more than enough for a non-bailable warrant.
Victoria: Non-bailable?! You can't keep me in a holding cell!
Detective Vance: Officers, place Miss Vance under arrest immediately.
The two uniformed officers stepped forward, pulling Victoria's arms behind her red silk dress. The cold steel handcuffs clicked firmly around her wrists.
Victoria: Get your hands off me! Carter, tell them to stop! Call my father right now!
Carter: Your father is sitting in my office downtown, Victoria. He's the one who alerted me that you were trying to access the trust fund yesterday.
Victoria froze, her jaw dropping open in utter disbelief as the officers turned her toward the kitchen doorway.
Victoria: My... my father betrayed me?
Carter: Your father is an honest man, Victoria. He disowned your corporate proxy three hours ago.