Chapter 18 - The Unexpected InformantBefore Julian and I could hatch a plan, a soft knock came from the back door leading out to the newly poured concrete patio.
We froze. I grabbed the heavy flashlight, motioning for Julian to stay back as I crept toward the kitchen door.
I peeked through the small window blinds. Standing on the patio, shivering in the cool night air, was a woman in a trench coat. It took me a second to recognize her. It was Sarah, a former senior paralegal who had worked for my mother’s corporate law firm before resigning in disgust three years ago.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Sarah? What are you doing here at one in the morning?” I asked, stepping back to let her in.
She walked quickly into the kitchen, clutching her leather bag to her chest like a shield. She looked terrified, her eyes darting toward the windows as if expecting someone to be watching the house.
“I saw you leaving Julian’s car yesterday, Connor,” Sarah said, her voice shaking. “I know what you found. You’re looking into Vanguard Holdings, aren’t you?”
“How do you know about Vanguard?” Julian demanded, stepping out from the shadows.
Sarah swallowed hard. “Because I was the one who drafted the initial incorporation papers twelve years ago. Your mother made me sign a non-disclosure agreement backed by threats I couldn't ignore. But when I heard she was finally facing trial, I thought I was free.”
“And you’re not?” I asked quietly.
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“No,” Sarah said, setting a small encrypted USB drive on the counter. “Because two days ago, someone from the DA’s office contacted my firm asking about those exact files. Someone inside the prosecution team is trying to bury the evidence before October.”
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