Chapter 4 - The Maverick Attorney and the Secret Ledger
By 11:30 a.m., Evelyn Vance arrived at the Huntsville Unit, her sharp grey suit and determined stride cutting through the grim atmosphere of the administration building. She was a woman driven by a profound sense of justice and a deep-seated suspicion of her brother, Richard. When Arthur had been murdered, she had tried to look into the family’s shipping company logistics, but Richard had used his political clout to bar her from the estate.
In the secure conference room, Mitchell handed her the tiny brass key Chloe had brought.
"This fits a specialized Swiss safe," Evelyn said, examining the intricate markings on the brass. "Arthur had one just like it in his private study at the old wharf office. But after he died, Richard claimed the office caught fire and all records were destroyed. If Chloe found this key in Arthur’s old briefcase, it means the safe wasn't destroyed. It was moved."
"We have less than nineteen hours, Evelyn," Mitchell warned. "The governor has already denied the standard clemency petition. Without hard evidence of a conspiracy, that gurney is Gavin’s final destination."
Evelyn looked at Chloe, who was drawing a picture of a house on a piece of scrap paper. "Chloe, do you know where Uncle Richard keeps his big iron box? The one this key belongs to?"
The little girl stopped drawing. She looked up, her blue eyes piercing. "It's in the basement of the old church near the river. The one where they don't sing anymore."
Evelyn gasped. "St. Jude’s. It was decommissioned three years ago. Richard bought the property through a shell company. He claimed he was converting it into a community center, but it’s been sitting empty."
"I'm coming with you," Mitchell said, reaching for his coat.
May you like
"No, Robert," Evelyn countered firmly. "If the warden of Huntsville goes missing or is spotted breaking into a property owned by the District Attorney, Richard will use the state police to shut you down and accelerate the execution under emergency security protocols. You stay here. Protect Gavin. Keep him alive by any bureaucratic delay you can conjure. I'll get the evidence."
Evelyn left the prison at a sprint. She knew she was walking into a hornets' nest. Richard was ruthless, and Judge Sterling was the most powerful judicial figure in the state. If they discovered she was closing in on their secret, she wouldn't make it to midnight.
