Gerald didn’t try to escape. Instead, he lowered the duffel bag and slowly unzipped it while the officers watched carefully. Inside were a power drill, a listening device, and stacks of empty envelopes. His plan quickly became clear. While everyone was distracted, Gerald intended to break into the hidden safe behind my bookshelf and disappear among the movers. Vanessa had promised him one-quarter of my savings in exchange for helping her. Unfortunately for them, Daniel and I had emptied the safe the previous morning.

I had actually suspected an accomplice weeks earlier. My smart lock showed afternoon entries while I was attending physical therapy, and those entries could only have been made using the building’s master code. Rather than confronting Gerald, Daniel helped me contact police and arrange hallway surveillance. Investigators discovered Gerald had been reading my mail and feeding Vanessa information about my schedule, medication, and sleeping habits. Even worse, he had deliberately spread rumors among my neighbors that grief was damaging my memory. But once Gerald realized how much evidence existed, his loyalty to Vanessa disappeared. Click continue reading below