Chapter 70: The Truth Comes Out
"The Cayenne you wanted is here." Steve pulled up in the stolen Porsche, parked outside a repair shop, and gave the hood a pat.
But his expression shifted the moment he noticed the gesture made by the burly white man leading the group.
Moments later, an unassuming car pulled into the lot, and a man stepped out.
"What's going on? You called earlier and said someone was tailing you," the man asked.
"False alarm. Thought I was being followed at first, but it must've been a coincidence," Steve replied.
"I've pulled off a ton of jobs, always clean and careful—never once drawn attention from the cops. There's no way I was being followed," Steve said with conviction.
"Well, be more careful from now on. We don't want to get caught up in your mess. Same deal as always—once I get the money, you get your cut." The man began inspecting the vehicle.
"We've got a new order. We need another Cayenne—black, specific model..." he continued.
---
Meanwhile, back at Frank's house.
"Remember what I told you about Steve?" Frank asked Fiona. "Now that you're back together, did you ask him any of the questions—about his job, family, or friends?"
"I did. He didn't say much," Fiona replied casually, flipping through a book while jotting down notes.
"Then take a look at this." Frank handed her a camcorder. "Steve's not who you think he is."
Fiona's brow furrowed as she watched the footage—Steve stealing a car, clear as day.
"He's not some respectable executive at a tech company. He's a car thief, Fiona. He's been lying to you the whole time."
"I know," Fiona said flatly, cutting Frank off mid-sentence.
"What?" Frank was stunned.
"I knew from our very first date. It was obvious—he steals and resells cars."
Fiona wasn't upset by what Steve did—her concern was how carelessly he did it. How could he not realize someone was filming him the whole time? Frank wasn't even a cop, just a regular guy, and he'd caught the entire thing on tape. If Frank had been law enforcement, Steve would be in jail already.
"You knew...?" Frank was speechless.
"This was supposed to stay between me and him. Don't tell anyone about this," Fiona warned, handing the camcorder back.
Frank frowned. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected. But it only confirmed his belief—Steve and Fiona needed to be separated.
Steve was a repeat offender. Sure, he hadn't been caught yet, but if you hang around the river long enough, you're bound to get your feet wet. Sooner or later, he'd be arrested, and when that happened, he'd be locked up for years.
What shocked Frank more was that Fiona knew and still chose to be with him. If Steve ended up in prison, Fiona would be left alone, wasting her youth on a criminal.
But then again, maybe this wasn't too surprising. Growing up in the South Side slums, Fiona had seen it all. Thanks to Frank's own irresponsibility, she'd practically raised her siblings on her own, resorting to scams, cons, and petty theft just to get by. For her, a boyfriend who stole cars was hardly scandalous. It was... normal.
Still, Frank wasn't about to let this go. If Steve was hiding one thing, there was probably more.
---
"Hey, Fiona, do you have any money?" Lip pulled her aside to ask quietly.
"What's up? How much do you need?" she replied, looking up.
"I want to buy concert tickets," he said.
"That's going to be expensive. First time you've splurged for a date," Fiona smirked. "But I don't have that kind of money right now."
Concert tickets weren't cheap—easily over a hundred bucks each. For a family scraping by on barely more than that per week, it was no small ask.
"Try asking Frank. He might have some cash on hand," Fiona suggested.
"I'll figure something out," Lip muttered, frowning.
"You're getting those tickets for Karen, aren't you? Are you two officially together now?" Fiona asked.
"No... we're just friends," Lip replied.
---
Knock knock knock.
While Fiona and Lip were talking, someone knocked at the door.
"Can I help you?" Fiona asked the unfamiliar woman at the doorstep.
"Hi, I'm Abby. I'd like to speak with Virginia. Is she here?"
"Who?" Fiona blinked in confusion.
"Virginia Louise Gallagher. Isn't this her residence?" Abby clarified, reading from a file.
"Oh! You mean Aunt Ginger. No, she doesn't live here anymore—she's in a care facility up in Wisconsin," Fiona replied.
"I see. I'm with the Inspector General's office. We're investigating a possible case of social security fraud. There's evidence someone's been cashing her benefits without authorization." Abby produced her badge to prove she was from a government agency.
"Apparently, twelve years ago, your aunt's address was changed to a PO box..." Abby explained.
"Twelve years? You're only just now investigating this?" Fiona asked incredulously. "I'm pretty sure her mail's been going to Wisconsin for a while now."
"Let me walk you through the process." Abby pulled out an envelope. "This is your aunt's social security check for this month. I'll be back tomorrow at 10 AM to hand it to her in person. That way, we can clear everything up face-to-face—no confusion, no misunderstandings."
After a brief chat, Abby left.
---
"Frank!" Fiona slammed the door shut and immediately dialed Frank.
"What happened?" Frank rushed home, worried by the urgency in her voice.
"Is Aunt Ginger really living in Wisconsin? Someone from Social Security just came by asking questions—and I know it was you. You've been cashing her benefits, haven't you?"
Frank froze.
He'd known this day would come eventually. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon.