Chapter 2 - ARTHUR VALE
The hooded man tried to stand.
Security Officer Marcus Bell put him back down with one hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t.”
The older man did not move closer.
Margaret did.
“Arthur.”
That gave Evelyn the name.
Arthur Vale.
Sixty-eight.
Founder of Vale Meridian Group.
One of the richest development executives in the state.
And, for the last six months, one of the most sensitive cooperating witnesses in Evelyn’s biggest criminal case.
His cooperation was not public.
It was not supposed to be known outside a tightly controlled circle.
Evelyn felt the plaza change beneath her.
She looked at Margaret.
Same last name.
She knew Margaret Vale existed.
Arthur’s older sister.
Former trustee of several family entities.
She had never met her.
That fact was now embarrassing.
Arthur looked at Evelyn for the first time.
Then her bag.
Then the bracelet in Bell’s gloved hand.
“What happened?”
Margaret answered immediately.
“She stole from me.”
Arthur looked at his sister.
“No.”
Margaret’s face hardened.
“You weren’t here.”
“I know you.”
Bell raised his voice.
“Everybody stops talking about the alleged theft until police arrive.”
Evelyn turned toward the hooded man.
Arthur had recognized him.
“Who is he?”
Arthur said:
“Derek Sloane.”
Sloane looked up.
Arthur continued.
“Former police detective. Private investigator now.”
Evelyn stared.
“You know him.”
“He worked security subcontracting for one of my companies.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Sloane laughed quietly.
“Still telling everybody that version?”
Arthur did not react.
Evelyn caught it anyway.
There was history here.
Margaret looked toward the sedan.
“Arthur, we need to leave.”
He ignored her.
“Sloane contacted one of my vendors last month with details that came from a confidential risk assessment.”
Sloane said:
“You pay people to know things. Then you’re offended when other people know them too.”
Bell interrupted.
“Sir, stop.”
Police sirens sounded several blocks away.
Evelyn’s mind had already moved beyond the bracelet.
Arthur’s cooperation agreement.
The sealed interviews.
The procurement payments.
The names of city officials they were preparing to indict.
If Sloane knew Arthur was feeding prosecutors information—
the case had a leak.
Then Evelyn looked at her shoulder bag.
The sealed evidence pouch inside.
Sloane had tried taking the whole bag.
Not the bracelet.
He had seen Margaret put the bracelet inside.
He still went for the bag.
“What did you want?”
Sloane smiled.
His lip had begun bleeding.
“Talk to my lawyer.”
Fair.
Then Arthur asked Evelyn:
“What are you carrying?”
That question bothered her.
“You don’t get to ask that here.”
His expression changed.
Good answer.
Margaret looked at the bag too.
For half a second.
Evelyn saw it.
The plaza police arrived.
People separated.
Names collected.
Phones requested where legally appropriate.
Witnesses identified.
Evelyn handed over her prosecutor credentials and immediately called her bureau chief.
Mara Chen answered on the first ring.
“Where are you?”
“Riverside Plaza.”
“What happened?”
“I was attacked.”
Mara’s voice sharpened.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Evidence?”
Evelyn looked at the bag.
“Still sealed.”
A pause.
“What evidence?”
Evelyn stopped.
Mara knew what evidence.
She had signed off on the transfer that morning.
“The Briar drive.”
Silence.
Then:
“Do not open the bag again. Do not touch the pouch. I’m sending an investigator.”
Evelyn looked across the plaza.
Arthur stood beside his sedan speaking with police.
Margaret sat on a bench again.
Cane upright between her knees.
Sloane was now in handcuffs because he had attempted to take Evelyn’s bag in front of half the plaza.
Then Arthur walked toward Evelyn.
Bell stepped between them.
Arthur stopped at a respectful distance.
He kept his voice low.
“Sloane knew I’d be in this area.”
Evelyn frowned.
“Were you supposed to be?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“My security team saw him near my lawyer’s office and called me.”
“So you followed him.”
“I wanted to know why he was watching the plaza.”
Evelyn stared.
Arthur continued.
“Now I do.”
He looked toward her bag.
“If he knew what you were carrying, the leak isn’t only inside my company.”
Evelyn felt her stomach tighten.
May you like
Arthur’s eyes moved toward the courthouse.
“It’s inside your case.”
