Chapter 11 - The Clearing of the Ledger
Two hours later, the gym was empty.
Police tape stretched across the entrance of Excel Fitness, fluttering in the cold midnight wind. The fluorescent lights were turned off, leaving the gym in complete darkness except for the streetlights outside.
In the rear parking lot, inside a mobile command unit trailer, Arthur sat at a small folding table, drinking a hot cup of black coffee from a paper cup.
Maya sat across from him, wrapping a thick wool blanket around his shoulders.
"The Chicago grand jury returned the sealed indictments fifteen minutes ago," Maya revealed, showing him her tablet screen. "Victor Vance, Brandon Vance, and four senior executives at Vanguard Financial have been charged under RICO statutes. The entire firm’s assets are frozen."
Arthur took a slow sip of his coffee, feeling the warmth spread through his chest.
"And the union pension fund?" Arthur asked.
"Six million dollars recovered," Maya answered softly. "Every cent is being returned to the retirees' accounts tomorrow morning."
Arthur looked out the small window of the trailer at the dark, silent gym building.
"I spent forty years looking at numbers on screens, Maya," Arthur murmured, his voice heavy with memories. "I thought justice was something you wrote down in a ledger with a black pen."
"And now?" Maya asked.
May you like
Arthur looked at his hands—the frail, liver-spotted hands that had held a silver revolver two hours ago.
"Now I know that numbers are just threads," Arthur said quietly. "And sometimes, you have to pull the thread until the whole house of cards comes falling down."
