Chapter 6 - Building the Ironclad Case
The meeting with Agent Miller took place in a quiet corner booth of the diner, away from the prying eyes of local reporters. I slid Mrs. Gable’s cardboard box across the table.
Miller flipped through the ledgers, his eyebrows rising higher with every page. He pulled out a specialized tablet, cross-referenced the account numbers with federal databases, and let out a low whistle.
"This is it," Miller said, looking up at me with newfound respect. "This gives us probable cause for immediate asset seizure and federal arrest warrants for Diana Harrington, Richard Harrington, and Magistrate Vance. They've been laundering money through shell corporations disguised as community improvement funds."
"What about the eviction notice and foreclosure on my house?" I asked. "They're trying to seize my property within twenty-four hours."
Miller smirked, pulling a laminated federal jurisdiction notice from his briefcase. "Federal racketeering supersedes local civil court orders. Any property tied up in an active RICO investigation is frozen under federal protection. Not even Judge Vance can touch your house now."
"Good," I said, my jaw tightening. "Because there's still the matter of what Diana did to my daughter. Federal charges are great for the books, but I want to make sure she faces state charges for child endangerment and physical abuse as well."
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"Leave that to us, Sheriff," Miller said, standing up and shaking my hand. "We're staging a coordinated raid on the HOA administrative office and the Harrington residence tonight at 0800 hours. Since you know the neighborhood layout better than anyone else, I want you in lead tactical gear right beside me when we kick their front door in."
I felt the heavy burden on my shoulders begin to lift. For the first time in days, I could breathe. The nightmare that Diana had inflicted upon my family was about to come crashing down around her.
