Chapter 13 - WHAT NAOMI DECIDES TO DISCLOSE
Naomi’s personal ethics review reached an uncomfortable conclusion.
Her six-year-old conduct was not prosecutorial misconduct.
She had been an intern.
Unbriefed.
Directed by a supervising prosecutor.
But her later memorandum remained a problem.
She signed:
No investigative contact with Nightglass source.
She had delivered a sealed envelope.
She had sensed something was wrong.
She had asked Pike.
Then accepted his answer.
The review called it:
Inadequately informed certification rather than intentional false statement.
Naomi hated how kind that sounded.
She asked to add a supplemental statement.
Her counsel said:
“You do not need to make it worse to prove you’re honest.”
“I’m not.”
“What do you want included?”
“That I remember asking Pike what I carried.”
“Good.”
“And that he told me to forget it.”
“Good.”
“And that I did.”
Her counsel looked at her.
“That part is implied.”
“I want it stated.”
It was.
Then came a harder decision.
Mason Vale’s defense team requested Naomi’s old internship personnel file.
Some of it was irrelevant.
Some privileged.
Some potentially discoverable because it concerned the old source contact.
Naomi could fight disclosure narrowly.
The office probably would win on most of it.
One document bothered her.
Warren Pike’s recommendation letter.
He wrote:
Naomi Carter understands the discipline required to follow sensitive instructions without inserting herself into matters beyond her role.
At twenty-four, Naomi loved that sentence.
Now she heard something else.
She told Michael Torres:
“Turn it over if ethics says it’s discoverable.”
“You understand defense will use it.”
“Yes.”
“To argue Pike trained you to ignore irregularities.”
“Yes.”
“They may call you.”
“I know.”
That was the cost.
Then Naomi made another choice.
She formally asked not to return as lead prosecutor in State v. Vale even if the conflict screen could eventually be lifted.
Dana Wells asked:
“You’re sure?”
“No.”
Better answer.
“Why?”
“Because I’m in the old evidence chain.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I’m still in it.”
Dana nodded.
Naomi would stay in the office.
Different cases.
No dramatic career destruction.
But the biggest case of her young career would belong to someone else.
Then Marcus requested one final conversation.
Naomi agreed.
He brought no ring.
Good.
They sat in a courthouse cafeteria because apparently no emotionally competent conversation in their lives happened somewhere beautiful anymore.
Marcus said:
“My mother is likely going to face charges.”
“Yes.”
“For the photos.”
“Potentially.”
“Insurance statement too?”
“Different limitations issues. I’m not your lawyer.”
He nodded.
Then:
“I’ve retained one.”
“Good.”
Marcus had supplemented his own statement.
He admitted signing the false insurance declaration.
Admitted knowingly allowing the “Marcus” alias issue to remain uncorrected after his attorney explained it.
Admitted failing to inspect Elias’s returned property before certifying the wedding display.
The last was not criminal.
The first might have civil consequences.
Insurer could reopen the old claim.
Marcus had offered to repay his proportional benefit if required.
Naomi looked at him.
“You didn’t have to tell me that.”
“I know.”
Then he slid one paper toward her.
Not the ring.
Cancellation confirmation.
Their marriage license application had been withdrawn before processing.
No accidental legal marriage.
Naomi exhaled.
Marcus looked at her.
“Do you want the ring back?”
“No.”
“Ever?”
“I don’t know.”
He nodded.
Then:
“Do you want me back?”
Naomi stared at him.
“I don’t know.”
That was the most honest answer available.
Marcus accepted it.
Then Naomi’s phone buzzed.
Renee.
One message.
They identified the red envelope.
Naomi opened the attached nonprivileged summary.
Evidence Integrity Unit.
Chain number matched a packet created the afternoon before Naomi’s garage visit.
Contents:
A photocopy of the Triumph destruction certificate.
One internal access log.
One photograph.
Recipient authorization:
H. CRANE
Harold Crane.
The packet had been checked out under his authority.
No return record.
Crane had insisted he only went to the garage because he noticed Pike’s car.
May you like
Now a packet from his unit was already there before he arrived.
His story had just broken.
