The rain poured heavily over the glass entrance of the Grand Regent Hotel as Mark pulled his SUV into the driveway.
Attorney Carter was already waiting under the front awning, wearing a dark trench coat and holding a leather briefcase under his arm.
Attorney Carter: Mark! You look like you went through a meat grinder.
Mark: You should see the other guy. Did you bring the police backup?
Attorney Carter: Detective Miller is parking around the back. He brought two plainclothes officers with him. We have a search warrant for Room 412 based on your home security footage.
Mark: Good. Let's get up there before they burn those documents.
They walked briskly through the marble lobby, taking the private guest elevator directly up to the fourth floor.
The carpeted hallway was deathly quiet as Mark, Carter, and two police officers approached the heavy wooden door marked 412.
Detective Miller: Stand back, Mr. Sterling. Let us handle the initial entry.
Detective Miller knocked loudly on the door three times, his voice stern and commanding.
Detective Miller: Police department! Open the door immediately!
Inside the room, the faint sound of panicked whispering and rustling paper could be heard through the thin wood.
Richard (Inside): Hide those under the mattress! Fast, Jason!
Detective Miller: Kick it in, officer!
The officer kicked the lock off the frame with a heavy thud, forcing the door to fly open against the wall.
Inside the luxurious hotel suite, Richard Vance stood near a mahogany desk in a silk robe, while Jason sat on the edge of the bed holding an ice pack against his swollen, bloody face.
Richard: What is the meaning of this illegal intrusion?! I am a major shareholder in Sterling Enterprises!
Mark: You're a thief, Richard. And your son is a coward.
Jason shrank back against the headboard, his eyes widening in horror as he saw Mark step into the room behind the officers.
Jason: Dad... that's him! That's the guy who attacked me in his kitchen!
Detective Miller: Shut your mouth, kid. Richard Vance, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit grand larceny and corporate espionage.
Richard: You don't have a shred of evidence! My son came here because he was beaten up by this unhinged lunatic!
Attorney Carter stepped forward, pulling a tablet computer from his briefcase and displaying the live video feed from Mark's home security system.
Attorney Carter: Here is crystal-clear video footage of your son breaking into Mr. Sterling's home office, stealing a leather folder, and striking Sarah Miller across the face.
Richard stared at the glowing screen, his face draining of all color as the officers stepped forward with steel handcuffs.
Richard: Jason... you told me nobody saw you enter the office!
Jason: I... I didn't see the camera, Dad! I thought the security system was turned off!
Mark: You thought wrong, Jason. Just like you thought you could talk trash to my daughters and get away with it.
Detective Miller stepped behind Richard, snapping the handcuffs around his wrists with a cold metallic click.
Detective Miller: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Richard: Mark, wait! We can settle this privately! I'll surrender my shares to you at a fifty percent discount!
Mark: You won't be surrendering anything at a discount, Richard. You'll be spending the next ten years in a federal penitentiary.
The second officer handcuffed Jason, dragging the crying young man off the bed as he whimpered in pain.
Jason: Dad, do something! Don't let them take me to jail!
Richard: Keep your mouth shut, Jason! Don't say another word until our lawyer gets here!
Mark walked over to the mahogany desk, picking up the blue leather folder containing his original patent deeds and holding it tight against his chest.