Chapter 7 - LEAVING THE MANSION
Red and blue emergency lights flashed wildly against the white pillars of the mansion's grand exterior facade.
Two county sheriff cruisers pulled up sharply on the circular driveway, their doors swinging open as deputies stepped out with practiced urgency.
Mark walked his three daughters down the front steps, shielding their sensitive eyes from the blinding strobe of the police lights.
Detective Vance, a seasoned American law enforcement officer, met them at the bottom of the porch with a grim expression.
"Mr. Cole, dispatch relayed the details... where is the suspect?" Detective Vance asked, adjusting his utility belt.
"She's inside the grand ballroom, surrounded by terrified guests who witnessed the entire aftermath," Mark replied firmly.
Two deputies hurried up the steps into the mansion to secure Victoria and read her official Miranda rights.
"We need to get these girls to a pediatric clinic immediately for a full medical evaluation," Detective Vance noted, looking at the children's pale faces.
"I've already called our family pediatrician; we're meeting him at St. Jude's Memorial Hospital tonight," Mark confirmed.
He gently opened the back door of his luxury sedan, helping his three daughters into the warm, leather-lined interior seats.
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The contrast between the luxurious car and the trauma they had endured weighed heavily on Mark's chest like a lead anchor.
***
