Chapter 25 - The Federal Alliance
|
Three days after the threat arrived, two figures in dark, formal business suits stepped into my office. The woman in front held up a leather badge case displaying the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Ms. Clara Rowan?" she asked. "I'm Special Agent Sarah Lin. This is my partner, Agent Davis."
"Good morning, Agents," I said, gesturing toward the leather armchairs across from my desk. "To what do I owe the honor?"
Agent Lin sat down, placing a slim manila folder on her lap.
"We’ve been monitoring Vance Global for thirty-six months, Ms. Rowan," Agent Lin said directly.
"We know about the offshore accounts. We know about the municipal kickbacks. But every time we get close to their internal ledgers, the paper trail goes cold or key witnesses suddenly decide to stop talking."
"And you think I have what you need?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.
"We know you do," Agent Davis added, his voice gravelly.
"We monitored a courier who dropped a locked briefcase at your door four days ago. That courier was working for Elena Vance—Julian Vance’s estranged daughter."
I kept my expression entirely neutral, though mentally I connected the final piece of the puzzle. The anonymous whistleblower wasn't an outsider; it was Julian's own blood.
"Elena Vance wants her father brought down before he bankrupts the remaining legitimate subsidiaries," Agent Lin explained.
"She trusts you because you dismantled Owen Sterling's network without breaking a single law. You have a reputation for being untouchable, Ms. Rowan."
"I am not untouchable, Agent Lin," I said softly, touching the faint, invisible mark on my ring finger.
"I am simply thorough. And I don't scare easily anymore."
"Will you work with us?" Agent Lin asked, leaning forward.
"If you provide the forensic roadmap, we can secure the federal warrants by the end of the month."
I looked at the broad, bright windows of my office, feeling the cold Chicago sunlight warming my shoulders.
May you like
"I won't just give you a roadmap, Agent," I replied.
"I'll hand you the keys to his vault."
