Chương 5
The room went quiet.
A clock on the kitchen wall clicked.
Once.
Twice.
Daniel looked at the framed photograph sitting on the shelf.
Their wedding day.
Both of them younger.
Both of them smiling with the confidence of people who believed love was something you protected by choosing it every day.
He walked past it without touching it.
"I need to make some calls."
Claire nodded.
"Of course."
The words were polite.
That made them worse.
Daniel went into his office and closed the door.
The room smelled like paper and old coffee.
He had always kept the room organized, not because he liked order, but because disorder made him feel like he was losing control.
The desk was exactly as he had left it.
His legal pads.
His old case files.
A wooden box where he kept personal documents.
He opened the box first.
Nothing unusual.
Then he checked the files from the client account case.
The original records were there.
Except one folder.
He stopped.
He counted again.
The folder was missing.
Daniel stared at the empty space.
He remembered having it.
Two weeks before the investigation started, he had taken it home.
He had reviewed the transaction history.
He had marked several pages.
Then he had returned it to the office.
At least he thought he had.
He sat down slowly.
That was the problem.
Thought.
Believed.
Remembered.
Words that meant nothing in court without proof.
His phone rang.
The number was blocked.
Daniel almost ignored it.
Almost.
"Hello?"
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a woman's voice answered.
"Daniel?"
His grip tightened around the phone.
"Who is this?"
A pause.
Not hesitation.
Fear.
"It's Laura."
He stood immediately.
"Laura, where are you?"
"I can't talk long."
"Why are you calling me from a blocked number?"
Another pause.
"Because someone is watching my phone."
Daniel looked toward the office window.
The street outside was empty.
"What are you talking about?"
"I shouldn't have testified."
His breathing changed.
"What does that mean?"
"Daniel, listen to me."
Her voice dropped.
"The document they showed the court isn't the document I saw."
He closed his eyes.
The room seemed to narrow.
"What?"
"I know what I signed."
"You signed it?"
"I signed something."
Her voice cracked.
"But not that."
Daniel gripped the edge of the desk.
"Laura, you need to tell me everything."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know who I can trust."
The sentence stayed between them.
Even after the call ended.
Even after the screen went dark.
Daniel remained standing beside his desk.
For the first time since the accusations began, the person who had helped build the case against him had admitted something was wrong.
But she had not cleared him.
She had not explained anything.
She had only opened another door.
And somewhere behind that door was a truth that had already started moving without him.
The next morning, Daniel arrived at Mercer and Vale before sunrise.
The building looked different when nobody was inside.
During the day, the glass walls and polished floors created the impression of success.
At five forty in the morning, the same building felt like a place where secrets could survive.
The security guard at the front desk looked surprised.
"Mr. Mercer?"
Daniel stopped.
The guard, a young man named Tyler, had only worked there for six months.
Daniel knew his name because he made a habit of knowing the names of people who were usually ignored.
"Morning, Tyler."
Tyler glanced toward the elevators.
"I didn't know you were coming in."
Daniel noticed the hesitation.
Not fear.
Uncertainty.
"Is that a problem?"
"No."
Tyler looked down at the desk.
"Just surprised."
Daniel waited.
Tyler tapped a pen against the counter.
"People have been asking about you."
"Who?"
Tyler immediately regretted saying anything.
"I shouldn't have said that."
"Tyler."
The young man's eyes moved toward the security cameras above the lobby.
"Can we not do this here?"
Daniel followed his gaze.
The cameras were small black circles mounted in the corners of the ceiling.
He had walked beneath them thousands of times.
He had never looked at them before.
They suddenly felt different.
"Come outside for a minute," Tyler said quietly.
The request surprised him.
A security guard asking an attorney to step away from cameras was not normal.
Outside, the morning air was cold.
Cars moved along the street with people heading to jobs that had nothing to do with Daniel's life falling apart.
Tyler shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Last week, after the police came, there were people from IT here."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Did they work for the firm?"
Tyler shrugged.
"They had badges."
"That doesn't answer the question."
The young man looked uncomfortable.
"No."
Daniel studied him.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Tyler looked away.
"Because my father spent six months fighting a fraud accusation at his company."
Daniel said nothing.
"He didn't do it."
Tyler swallowed.
"But everyone treated him like he did until they figured out the records were wrong."
A truck passed behind them, drowning out the city noise for a moment.
"When did they come?"
"After midnight."
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
"Which night?"
Tyler looked at him.
"The night your office was broken into."
Daniel stared.
"How do you know my office was broken into?"
Tyler froze.
A mistake.
A small one.
But enough.
Daniel stepped closer.
"Tyler."
The guard looked toward the building.
"I heard people talking."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Tyler."
The young man rubbed his face.
"The police weren't the first people there."
The sentence settled slowly.
"Who was?"
Tyler did not answer.
He didn't need to.
Daniel already knew what scared him.
Someone inside the building had arrived before the people who were supposed to investigate.
"Did you see them?"
"Not clearly."
"Anyone you recognize?"
Tyler hesitated.
"Maybe."
Daniel waited.
"It was Ms. Bennett."
Laura.
The name felt heavier every time he heard it.
"What was she doing?"
"I don't know."
May you like
"Try."
Tyler looked embarrassed.
