Chapter 7 - The Million-Dollar Policy
Detective Ramos leaned over my shoulder, reading the military affidavit as his jaw hardened into an expression of pure, unadulterated fury.
"There’s more, Rachel," Mark said, pulling a second sheaf of papers from his tactical leather briefcase.
"While you were in the trauma bay fighting for Chloe’s life, our financial crimes division executed an emergency search warrant on Beatrice’s personal bank accounts."
"Over the past six years, Beatrice has siphoned over one hundred and forty thousand dollars in military child support checks sent by Lieutenant Commander David Hayes."
"She deposited the money into a private account registered under an LLC named 'Magnolia Ridge Investments,' which she used to pay off Lauren’s luxury vehicle leases and credit card debts."
I stared at the financial ledgers, nausea rising in the back of my throat as the magnitude of my family's greed was laid bare.
"That still doesn't explain why Beatrice threw an eight-year-old child out into a lethal ice storm, Mark," I whispered, looking at my sleeping daughter.
"Beatrice is cruel and greedy, but she wouldn't risk a felony investigation just to punish Chloe for not scrubbing a porch."
Mark pulled out a brightly colored insurance document with a red CONFIDENTIAL stamp across the header.
"She didn't do it just to punish her, Rachel.
She did it for this."
I took the document, my eyes scanning the fine print of a commercial life insurance policy issued by a major insurance syndicate in Dallas.
The policy was taken out five months ago on the life of eight-year-old Chloe Hayes, carrying a total death benefit of one point five million dollars.
Attached to the contract was a specific "Accidental Environmental Exposure and Severe Weather" double-indemnity rider that increased the final payout to three million dollars in the event of death caused by hypothermia or natural exposure.
The primary beneficiary listed on the policy was Beatrice Vance, with Lauren Vance designated as the secondary contingent executor.
The signature of the mother authorizing the policy was written in a clumsy, forged imitation of my handwriting.
"She didn't forget Chloe in the woods," I choked out, the horror paralyzing the air in my lungs.
"She planned her death."
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"She checked the weather forecast, waited for a freezing sleet storm, threw Chloe out into the ravine, and delayed calling you for four hours so the child would freeze to death before help could arrive."
"They wanted three million dollars in blood money."
