Chapter 14: The Smirk
Alexander Bennett’s arrest should have been the end of it. The world celebrated as the man who had caused so much pain and destruction was finally behind bars. News outlets ran headlines declaring victory, and the public breathed a collective sigh of relief. But for Daniela, the sight of Alexander’s smirk during his perp walk haunted her. It wasn’t the look of a defeated man. It was the look of someone who still had a plan.
“He’s not done,” Daniela said, pacing the safe house living room. “I saw his face. He’s not scared. He’s… confident.”
Ethan sat on the couch, his arms crossed and his expression grim. “He’s in custody, Daniela. The FBI has him. What can he possibly do from there?”
Daniela stopped pacing and turned to him, her eyes wide with worry. “You don’t know him like I do. Alexander always has a backup plan. Always. He wouldn’t just let himself get caught unless he had a way out.”
Claire, who had been quietly observing the conversation, leaned forward. “She’s right. Bennett’s not the type to go down without a fight. We need to stay vigilant.”
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright. So what do we do? We’ve already handed over everything we have. The FBI’s on it. What else can we do?”
Daniela sat down, her mind racing. “We need to find out what he’s planning. If he’s got people on the outside working for him, we need to know who they are and what they’re doing.”
Claire nodded. “I’ll reach out to my contacts. See if anyone’s heard anything. But we need to be careful. If Bennett’s still pulling strings, we could be walking into a trap.”
The next few days were tense. Daniela, Ethan, and Claire worked around the clock, piecing together any information they could find. They dug into Alexander’s associates, his businesses, even his personal life, looking for anything that might hint at his next move.
Then, Claire got a call. Her contact at the FBI had news. “Bennett’s lawyers are pushing for bail,” she said, hanging up the phone. “They’re claiming the evidence against him is circumstantial and that he’s not a flight risk.”
Daniela’s stomach dropped. “They can’t be serious. After everything he’s done?”
Claire’s expression was grim. “They’re arguing that the public outcry is influencing the case and that he deserves a fair trial. And with his resources, he might just get it.”
Ethan slammed his fist on the table. “This is exactly what he wants. He’s playing the system, buying himself time.”
Daniela stood, her hands clenched into fists. “We can’t let that happen. If he gets out on bail, he’ll disappear. We’ll never see him again.”
Claire nodded. “We need to find something concrete. Something that ties him directly to the crimes. If we can prove he’s a danger to society, the judge won’t grant bail.”
The trio worked tirelessly, following every lead, no matter how small. Then, late one night, Ethan called Daniela into the room where he’d been working. “I think I found something,” he said, his voice tense with excitement.
On his laptop was a series of encrypted emails between Alexander and a man named Victor Kane—the same Victor Kane who had given them the folder of evidence. Daniela’s eyes widened as she read through them. “This… this proves Alexander was behind the fire. He ordered Kane to set it up. He wanted me out of the way.”
Ethan nodded. “And there’s more. Look at this.” He clicked on another file, revealing financial records showing payments from Alexander to Kane. “This is it, Daniela. This is the smoking gun.”
Claire, who had been listening in, grabbed her phone. “I’ll call the FBI. They need to see this.”
The next morning, the new evidence was presented to the judge overseeing Alexander’s case. The emails and financial records were damning, and the judge denied bail, calling Alexander a “clear and present danger to society.”
Daniela watched the news coverage from the safe house, her heart pounding. For the first time in weeks, she felt a flicker of hope. “This is it,” she said, turning to Ethan. “He’s not getting out.”
Ethan nodded, but his expression was still cautious. “Don’t celebrate yet. Bennett’s not going to take this lying down. He’ll find another way to fight.”
A few days later, Daniela’s fears were confirmed. Claire burst into the safe house, her face pale. “We’ve got a problem,” she said, holding up her phone. “Bennett’s lawyers are claiming the evidence was tampered with. They’re saying it was planted.”
Daniela’s stomach churned. “What? That’s not possible. We found those emails ourselves.”
Claire shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if it’s true. They’re creating doubt. And if they can convince the judge, the case could fall apart.”
Ethan cursed under his breath. “We need to find something else. Something they can’t dispute.”
Daniela’s mind raced. Then, she remembered something. “The key,” she said suddenly. “The key we found in the storeroom. We never figured out what it opens. What if it’s connected to all of this?”
Ethan’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. If we can find what that key unlocks, it might lead us to more evidence.”
The key was still in the folder of documents Victor Kane had given them. Daniela held it in her hand, staring at it as if it held the answers to everything. “But where do we start? We don’t even know what it’s for.”
Claire took the key and examined it closely. “It’s a safety deposit box key. I’ve seen these before. If we can figure out which bank it belongs to, we might be able to find out what’s inside.”
The trio spent the next few hours calling banks, describing the key and asking if it matched their records. Finally, they got a hit. The key belonged to a small, private bank in the city—one that catered to high-profile clients.
That evening, they arrived at the bank. Claire had arranged for them to meet with the manager, who was hesitant but cooperative. “This key belongs to a box rented under the name Victor Kane,” the manager said, leading them to the vault. “But without proper authorization, I can’t let you open it.”
Daniela’s heart sank. “What kind of authorization?”
The manager hesitated. “A court order. Or… the renter’s permission.”
Ethan stepped forward, his voice low. “Victor Kane is dead. And the man who hired him, Alexander Bennett, is in custody. This box could contain evidence that proves his crimes. If you don’t let us in, you’re helping him get away with it.”
The manager looked conflicted, then sighed. “Alright. But if anyone asks, I didn’t do this.”
He opened the box and stepped aside. Daniela reached in and pulled out a stack of documents. Her hands trembled as she flipped through them. It was everything—bank records, contracts, even a detailed plan of the fire. Alexander’s fingerprints were all over it.
Claire grabbed her phone. “I’m calling the FBI. This is it. This is what we need.”
As they left the bank, Daniela felt a mix of relief and exhaustion. They had done it. They had found the evidence that would finally bring Alexander down.
But as they drove back to the safe house, Daniela couldn’t shake the feeling that the fight wasn’t over. Alexander’s smirk still haunted her, a reminder that he was always one step ahead.
And as the city lights faded in the rearview mirror, she knew one thing for certain.
The storm wasn’t over yet.