Chapter 4 - Brittany’s Stolen Feast
Officer Martinez and Officer Chen stepped into the kitchen, their hands resting lightly on their duty belts. The sight of armed law enforcement shattered whatever remaining delusions Patricia harbored.
“Ma’am, who made the 911 call?” Officer Martinez asked, his eyes scanning the room.
“I did,” I said, pointing to the swollen red mark on my left cheek. “Patricia Miller, my mother-in-law, struck me across the face inside my kitchen after an altercation regarding stolen property.”
Patricia lunged forward, her voice reaching a shrill, hysterical pitch. “Officer, arrest her! She’s crazy! She threw away four pounds of meat! She’s trying to steal my son’s life!”
Officer Chen immediately put a hand out, his voice sharp and authoritative. “Ma’am, step back! Keep your hands where I can see them!”
Uncle Thomas, looking utterly humiliated, raised both hands and took two steps toward the back exit. “Officers, my wife and I had no idea about any of this. We were invited to a family dinner. We are leaving right now.”
“Nobody leaves until we sort this out,” Martinez commanded. He looked at me, then at Patricia. “Is there cameras in this residence?”
A triumphant smirk flashed across Patricia’s face. “Yes! Danny put up cameras in the kitchen last month! Check the tapes! Check them right now and see who the real monster is!”
Daniel groaned aloud. “Mom... shut up. Please, just shut up.”
“Why should I shut up? The camera will show her dumping the meat!” Patricia yelled.
“Officer,” I said, unlocking my tablet from the counter. “The security system is connected to my cloud account. Let’s watch the last twenty minutes together, shall we?”
I pulled up the feed and pressed play on the high-definition monitor mounted near the pantry.
The video was crystal clear.
The screen showed me standing at the counter at 4:45 p.m., seasoning the sides. Then Patricia entered, carrying an aluminum roasting pan. The audio picked up every single word.
*“Brittany has friends coming over,”* Patricia’s recorded voice sneered through the speakers. *“She needs the good meat more than we do... Don’t be dramatic, Claire. Make something else.”*
The video showed Brittany laughing, taking the fourteen pounds of meat, and skipping out the back door. Then came the confrontation. The video showed me calmly carrying the remaining ribs to the trash can. Then came the explosion. Patricia lunged, her hand swinging back and connecting with a sickening *crack* against my cheek.
*“What am I supposed to eat now?”* Patricia’s voice screamed on the video.
Then came Daniel entering the room, staring at me with contempt, and uttering the words: *“Claire, apologize to Mom. You’re embarrassing everyone.”*
Officer Martinez turned his gaze from the screen to Patricia. His jaw was set like stone. “Turn around, ma’am.”
Patricia froze. “What?”
“Turn around and put your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for simple assault.”
“No! You can’t arrest me! I’m sixty-four years old! Danny! Tell them!” Patricia shrieked, thrashing her arms as Officer Martinez clicked the steel cuffs around her wrists. “Brittany, do something!”
Brittany, terrified that she was next, bolted toward the back door. But Officer Chen had already stepped into the hallway.
“Miss Miller?” Chen asked. “The white Lexus out front registered to you?”
Brittany stopped, her eyes wild. “Yes! What about it?”
“The catering trays in your trunk were reported as stolen property by the homeowner. Furthermore, there’s an open investigative inquiry flagged on your vehicle’s registration regarding an ongoing corporate audit with Vanguard Holdings.”
Brittany turned white. She looked at Daniel with pure, venomous hatred. “You told me you handled that! You said the boutique was clean!”
“It was never clean, Brittany,” I said from across the kitchen. “Every dollar he gave you was stolen from my family. And starting tomorrow morning, your store’s inventory will be seized by Vanguard’s recovery attorneys.”
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Brittany sank to her knees right there on the hardwood floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
***