Chương 8
The room became quiet.
Park’s expression did not change, but her pen no longer moved.
“Are you certain Mercer’s name appeared?”
“Yes.”
“Certain enough to testify to that?”
Chloe looked at me.
I did nothing.
This answer had to be hers.
“Yes.”
Park capped the pen.
“Then this is no longer something I handle by myself.”
She stepped into the hallway and made a call.
I moved closer to Chloe.
“You all right?”
“No.”
“Reasonable.”
She breathed carefully because of the ribs.
“What happens if Mercer is involved?”
“We don’t know that he is.”
“Mom.”
“We do not.”
“He told you not to involve police.”
“He told me no police needed to be involved.”
“That’s worse.”
“It may be.”
“You always do that.”
“Do what?”
“Leave one inch of space for people who have already shown you who they are.”
I sat back.
“That inch has saved innocent people.”
“And guilty ones.”
“Yes.”
The answer made her angry.
I could see it.
“It has done that too.”
She turned toward the window.
Morning light had begun to flatten the darkness outside, turning the parking lot the color of dirty snow.
“You miss it,” she said.
“What?”
“Being a prosecutor.”
“No.”
“That was too fast.”
I looked at the hospital bracelet around her wrist.
“I miss knowing what my role was.”
She turned back.
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“No.”
“What do you do now?”
“Mostly argue with appliance repair companies and grow tomatoes badly.”
“I mean with this.”
I knew what she meant.
I looked toward the hall where Park was still talking on the phone.
“I stay out of her way.”
Chloe laughed softly and regretted it immediately because of her ribs.
“That might kill you.”
“Probably.”
“Promise me.”
I hesitated.
Her expression hardened.
“Mom.”
“I promise I will not interfere with the investigation.”
“That was lawyer wording.”
“It was accurate wording.”
“Promise you won’t go after Marcus yourself.”
I looked at her.
There were a hundred forms of going after someone that did not involve interfering with police.
Phone calls.
Former colleagues.
Regulatory contacts.
Quiet questions.
A name spoken in the correct office.
Chloe knew that too.
“Promise.”
I hated how long it took me to answer.
“I promise.”
Her shoulders loosened slightly.
Park returned.
“I spoke to my lieutenant.”
“And?”
“We’re notifying the appropriate financial-crimes people.”
“Federal?” I asked.
“Potentially.”
“Potentially again.”
“Yes, Eleanor.”
She used my first name deliberately.
“You are going to hear that word a lot today.”
Chloe almost smiled.
Park continued.
“Before anything happens with the card, we need proper handling and a warrant strategy.”
“Because some of the access may have been unauthorized,” I said.
“Among other reasons.”
“Can Marcus claim privilege?”
“Depends what is on it.”
“Trade secrets?”
“Also an issue.”
“Corporate counsel?”
“Could be.”
Chloe groaned.
“I copied it because I thought if I didn’t, he would delete everything.”
Park looked at her.
“That may eventually matter.”
“Eventually?”
“Intent matters.”
“But it doesn’t erase how you obtained it.”
Chloe’s face tightened.
“So I could be charged.”
“No one has said that.”
“Could I?”
Park did not evade.
“Yes.”
The word hurt more than I expected.
Chloe stared down at the blanket.
“For finding fraud.”
“For accessing systems or information you may not have had authorization to access.”
“That’s insane.”
“No.”
Park’s voice was almost gentle.
“It’s unpleasant.”
“Same thing.”
“It isn’t.”
I touched Chloe’s hand.
She pulled away.
“I should have done nothing.”
“That is not what she said,” I told her.
“It’s what everyone keeps saying without saying it.”
Park shook her head.
“If you found what you think you found, doing nothing may have had consequences too.”
“Then what was I supposed to do?”
“Report concerns through lawful channels.”
“To who?”
“Your employer, compliance, regulators, counsel, depending on what you knew.”
“My husband was involved.”
“Yes.”
“And maybe his CEO.”
“Yes.”
“So I was supposed to trust their compliance department?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then who?”
Park did not give her a perfect answer because there wasn’t one.
“You should have gotten legal advice before accessing more.”
“I was in my bedroom.”
“That doesn’t change the law.”
“He was sleeping with another woman and stealing money.”
“Maybe.”
“He broke my ribs.”
“That part is being investigated separately.”
Chloe’s good eye filled.
“That word again.”
“Separately.”
Park’s tone softened.
“You need separate because otherwise Marcus gets to argue that every accusation came from one marital fight.”
That landed.
Chloe wiped at her eye.
“He’ll do that.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll say I’m jealous.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll say I made up the violence because I found Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll say I stole company information to punish him.”
“Yes.”
Each answer stripped something away.
By the end, Chloe looked less angry and more awake.
Park leaned against the counter.
“That is why we document the injuries independently.”
She pointed toward the hall.
“That is why the doctor records what you told him before anyone knows where the financial investigation goes.”
She nodded toward the evidence cup.
“That is why nobody turns that card into a magic answer.”
Chloe looked at it.
“What happens to it?”
“It gets preserved.”
“And then?”
“Someone with authority to examine it examines it.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Days?”
“Could be.”
“Weeks?”
“Could be.”
“Months?”
Park did not answer quickly enough.
Chloe laughed once without humor.
“Great.”
A knock interrupted us.
Ruiz stepped inside.
His cheeks were red from the cold.
Park looked at him.
“What happened?”
“We have Marcus.”
Chloe’s whole body went still.
“What do you mean?”
Ruiz looked at Park, then at Chloe.
“He was arrested.”
“On what?”
“Domestic assault and unlawful restraint are the initial charges being submitted.”
Chloe stared at him.
“What about Sylvia?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“She says she never prevented you from leaving.”
“She pulled my hair.”
“We’re documenting that.”
“She blocked the kitchen.”
“We’re documenting that too.”
Chloe’s face flushed.
“So she gets to finish Thanksgiving dinner?”
“Chloe,” I said.
“No.”
She looked at Ruiz.
May you like
“She helped him.”
“I’m not saying she didn’t.”
