Chapter 6 - The Shadows of the Past
The rain began around midnight, a heavy downpour that slicked the streets of Baltimore and turned the harbor into a dark, churning void. Rachel and I sat in Detective Reed’s temporary task force room on the fourth floor of the Federal Building. Whiteboards lined the perimeter, covered in red string, bank account numbers, and black-and-white printouts of names I had recognized from news headlines for years.
"Victoria Vance," Reed said, tapping a photo pinned to the center of the board. "She entered the Mercer House emergency shelter four years ago after filing an assault report against her ex-fiancé, Julian Vance—nephew to State Senator Robert Vance."
"And the charges were dropped three weeks later," I said, studying the timeline.
"Not just dropped," Reed clarified, leaning against the edge of the desk. "Expunged. Victoria withdrew her statement, signed an NDA drafted by Daniel’s private legal team, and disappeared from city records. But three weeks ago, as Elena told you, Victoria came back."
"Why?" Rachel asked, wrapping her fingers around her paper coffee cup. "If she was paid off, why break silence now?"
"Because Daniel stopped paying," I realized aloud. I stood up and walked to the board, my fingers tracing the line connecting Daniel’s offshore accounts to a small credit union in West Virginia. "He didn't just use Mercer House money for bribes; he used it as an escrow service. As long as the victims kept quiet, money moved into their accounts monthly. But when Daniel started redirecting funds into his own personal real estate holdings last year, those payments stalled."
Reed’s phone buzzed on the metal desk. He glanced at the screen, his expression instantly hardening.
"That was the magistrate's clerk," Reed said, looking up at us. "Daniel’s defense team just filed an emergency habeas motion. They’re arguing that the audio recording from your sleeve was obtained via illegal wiretapping, claiming you provoked him inside a private residence."
"He trapped me against the counter!" I snapped, my voice ringing off the concrete walls.
"I know, Clara," Reed said calmly, raising a hand. "I was on the other end of the wire. But his lawyer isn't some public defender. He just retained Richard Sterling."
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Rachel gasped softly. Even if you didn't follow Baltimore law, everyone knew Richard Sterling. He was the attorney high-profile figures called when they needed a crime erased from public memory.
"Sterling is holding a bail review hearing at nine tomorrow morning," Reed warned. "And if Daniel gets out, every witness on this board is in immediate danger. Starting with Victoria Vance."
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