Chapter 4 - The Midnight Break-In
Marcus lived in a high-end gated community in the suburbs. My special operations training hadn't rusted; getting past the gate and bypassing his home security took less than four minutes. I slipped through the back patio door, moving like a shadow.
The house was dark, smelling of expensive cologne and fear. I found him in his home office, frantically shoving files into a leather briefcase. He jumped violently when I stepped out of the darkness.
"Vance!" he gasped, dropping a stack of papers. "Jesus! I... I was just getting some things together. For the police."
"You're packing a go-bag, Marcus," I said, stepping closer. I grabbed him by the collar of his silk shirt and slammed him against the mahogany bookshelf. "I saw your watch on the footage. You poisoned the cider."
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"No! No, I swear to God!" Marcus shrieked, his eyes wide with genuine terror. "I didn't poison anyone! I didn't even go in the dining room!"
"I saw the gold watch, Marcus." "Look!" He ripped his sleeve back. The Rolex was gone. "I lost it! I took it off in the bathroom to wash my hands before dinner, and when I went back, it was gone! Someone stole it to frame me, Vance! You have to believe me!"
