Chapter 3 – The Hartmann Family

“We’re here,” Salvo announced.

Sean turned to Maxine, but she wasn’t moving. He poked her arm to try to wake her up. But she just let out a soft moan, and he stiffened.

Still unable to wake the woman up, Sean shook her shoulder. Maxine moved but slipped sideward, and her head landed on Sean’s lap.

“Sir?” The driver called again, wondering why Sean was still in the car. But the man just raised a finger to hush him.

The man in the front seat nodded, opened the door, and went out. Sean, on the other hand, stared at the woman’s face.

He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and ran his finger to her nose bridge. Maxine scrunched her nose, and he chuckled.

Maxine was beautiful. There was no doubt about that.

Her eyelashes were long, casting shadows on her cheeks. Her nose was slender with a high nose bridge. She has olive skin, and her cheeks have a natural blush.

When Sean saw her at the asylum, Maxine was a mess.

She wore an oversized tee with holes everywhere, fitted ripped jeans, and worn-out hi-cut sneakers. And her hair was in a messy bun.

‘How can she be a murderer?’

Sean only knew of his brother’s death when he returned from London. It has been months. And his grandfather, Jim Hartmann, didn’t tell him about it.

His widowed stepmother, Emilie, took charge of the investigation and funeral. According to the investigators, Scott Hartmann was stabbed in the neck, chest, and stomach 24 times.

The suspect – a stripper named Sasha.

However, the suspect was still free, and that infuriated him. So, he decided to hire a private investigator, Vito,  to continue investigating.

Two weeks before he returned from London, he contacted the investigator again to find the woman. Fortunately, they didn’t have a hard time.

According to Vito, Sasha was a well-known stripper in Maryland. It’s only been a year since she moved to Virginia.

At 20 years old, she finished her studies by working in a club in Clinton. When they moved to Virginia, she continued working as a stripper together with her sister.

Sasha worked at an underground strip club in Springfield. And because of her, the place gained fame in all of Grayson. This fame even extended to Fairfax and other neighboring cities and counties.

Being the club’s star stripper, her managers have been strict in following her rules. No customer was allowed to touch her, and they couldn't take her out.

Even the rich men who visited the club can’t bend Sasha’s rules. Regardless of the amount they were willing to pay.

The star stripper named Sasha turned out to be Maxine Winther. Looking at her, Sean still couldn’t be convinced that she was the person he was trying to find.

Except for her job, she looked decent. She finished her course in jewelry design, and she’s the top student in her class. With that on her resume, she could easily find a corporate job.

‘Then why did she choose to become a stripper? Why would she go for such a job?’

When Maxine finally woke up, Sean asked her to fix herself so they could go into the Marriage License Bureau. The officiant immediately called the clerk when he saw the young Hartmann.

It was the clerk himself who assisted them with the process. Minutes later, he handed the wedding certificate to the couple for them to sign.

Sean picked up the pen and drew his signature. He then passed it to Maxine, but she didn’t budge. She bowed, fiddled with her fingers, and didn’t say anything.

The clerk looked at both of them. Then he approached Maxine, “Are you being forced to do this?”

Sean heard the question, and to not raise any suspicion, he walked close to her and asked, “Should we go to Scottsville after this, honey?”

Maxine was well aware it was a threat. Afraid for the life of her mother and sister, she grabbed the pen and signed the certificate.

The clerk cleared his throat when the woman returned it to him. He was suspicious of what was happening, but since Sean Hartmann was in front of him, he could only swallow the words he wanted to say.

After the Bureau, they headed to West District. It was the nearest police station to the club where the killing of his brother happened.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Hartmann,” Vito greeted him. He was waiting for them outside the police station.

They proceeded to go in, and everyone in uniform greeted the charismatic man as he walked in front of Vito and Maxine. “How can we help you, sir?” one of the officers asked.

The private investigator stepped in and explained the purpose of their visit. Maxine was just quietly listening to them. She had no idea what exactly was going on.

“But sir, we have already finished the investigation for this case,” one of the station’s investigators told Sean.

The man smirked and glared at him. “Didn’t you hear what my private investigator just said? We need all the evidence you’ve gathered from the crime scene. Was he unclear about what we wanted?”

The officer swallowed hard. He knew the young Hartmann and had heard of him. As soon as he arrived from London, he ordered the shutdown of all the strip clubs in Fairfax County.

It caused a rave among indecent rich men, but since he was a Hartmann, they could not contest. They can only try and find another place to have a good time.

When the Station Commander arrived, the officers quickly explained what was happening. “Give Mr. Hartmann everything he needs,” Inspector James instructed.

Maxine looked at the man and then at Sean. She could not believe the man she married was that powerful, and it sent chills down her spine.

All the time she had been quiet, she thought of a way to escape the stranger. However, knowing how powerful he was, it seemed impossible for her to get away from him.

After the police station, their next stop was Hartmann Estate. From the police station, Salvo drove to Great Falls. One of the most expensive neighborhoods in Virginia.

The gate automatically opened to let the car in. When they stepped out, a butler named Paul greeted him.

“Where’s my grandfather?”

“He’s in the living room, sir.”

Sean turned to Maxine and reached out for her hand, “Let’s go,” he stated, and Paul opened the door for them.

They headed straight to the living room, where Maxine saw an old man in a wheelchair. He has a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand.

“Good afternoon, grandpa.” The man bowed and kissed the old man’s head.

Jim Hartmann snorted, “I thought you were so busy at the company that you didn’t have the time to visit me. But from what I heard, you were at the bureau earlier, getting married.”

Sean smiled, pulled a chair, and sat next to the old man. “Yes, you received the right information. My wife’s with me too, and I want to introduce her to you.”

Jim looked at the woman Sean pointed to. She was no more than 5 feet 6 inches tall. He could tell as she was wearing worn-out sneakers.

The woman had long legs. It was evident in her fitted ripped jeans. Aside from that, she obviously has a gorgeous face, even when there are traces of dirt on her cheek.

Jim glared at his grandson and sneered, “Where did you pick this trash?”

Sean patted his hand and smiled, “She’s the one who killed Scott.”