Chapter 10
The execution of the attorney general's sting operation was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, coinciding with the monthly regional board meeting at the municipal civic center. Evelyn Hayes was slated to give the keynote presentation on "Resource Optimization and Public-Private Partnerships," a thinly veiled PR stunt designed to whitewash the board's systemic failures.
Mark and Clara arrived at the civic center shortly before two o'clock. The building was a brutalist concrete structure with towering glass doors and heavy stone pillars. Yellow school buses were parked in the designated drop-off zone outside, transporting disabled students from across the valley to the center's exhibition hall for an annual inclusion rally.
As Mark pushed Clara through the grand entrance, they ran straight into Evelyn. She was dressed in an even sharper grey suit than before, her blonde hair pulled back into a severe chignon. Behind her stood Brenda Vance and two local police officers, including Officer Miller.
Evelyn stopped dead in her tracks, her face contorting into an ugly sneer. "You two have some nerve showing up here after what you pulled. Security!"
Officer Miller stepped forward, raising a hand to calm the situation before it escalated. "Hold on, Mrs. Hayes. Mr. Vance, Clara, what are you doing here today? This is a restricted administrative zone."
Before Mark could answer, the heavy double doors behind the reception desk swung open with a loud bang. A tall man in a tailored charcoal suit, accompanied by two armed state troopers in crisp gray uniforms, strode briskly into the lobby.
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"Evelyn Hayes and Brenda Vance?" the man announced, flashing a gold shield embossed with the state seal. "I am Special Agent Thomas from the Office of the Attorney General. You are both under arrest for grand larceny, wire fraud, and systemic misappropriation of federally funded medical assets."
The lobby fell into an absolute, stunned silence. The hum of the vending machines in the corner sounded deafeningly loud. Evelyn’s face drained of all color, her manicured fingers trembling as she clutched her leather portfolio.
