Chapter 13 - The Justice Department Leak
The morning sun broke over Ashwood Manor, casting long, sharp shadows across the manicured lawns that now sat behind yellow police tape. Inside the grand foyer, federal marshals in tactical gear moved methodically, boxing up files, electronics, and financial ledgers from the study and library.
Maya stood near the front door, wearing the same purple knit sweater and dark jeans she had worn when Eleanor threw her out just days ago. It felt like a lifetime had passed. She clutched her small black purse in one hand and the secure silver backup drive in the other.
Sarah Chen walked down the grand wooden staircase, her trench coat draped over her arm as she approached Maya and Marcus.
“We’ve traced the encrypted login used during the remote wipe attempt,” prosecutor Chen announced quietly, keeping her voice low so the nearby marshals wouldn't overhear. “The terminal belonged to Deputy Assistant Attorney General Thomas Vance. David’s older brother.”
Maya’s breath caught. “My uncle? I didn't even know my father had a brother.”
“Few people did,” Marcus added bitterly. “Thomas kept his distance from the corporate side, acting as the clean, respectable face of the family in Washington, while David handled the dirty money and the illegal investments.”
“And where is my uncle now?” Maya asked, her voice steady, carrying none of the helpless terror she had felt days before on that exact marble floor.
“That’s the complication,” Chen replied grimly. “He filed for an emergency injunction early this morning, claiming the entire federal investigation into Ashwood Manor is a conflict of interest, and demanding that all evidence be transferred directly to his oversight committee in D.C.”
Marcus slammed his hand down on the entry table. “He’s trying to bury the case at the federal level before it ever sees a courtroom! If those files go to Washington, Thomas will wipe them clean within the hour.”
Maya looked down at the silver hard drive in her hand. The metal felt cool against her palm, anchoring her to reality. She remembered her mother’s fierce determination, the nightly journal entries written in secret, and the silent courage it took to stand up against an empire built on deception.
“They’re not getting the drive,” Maya said, her voice carrying an absolute, unshakeable resolve that made both Marcus and the federal prosecutor stop and stare.
“Maya, you can't withhold federal evidence from a DOJ official,” Chen warned cautiously, though a flicker of respect danced in her eyes. “That’s a felony.”
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“Then it’s a good thing I’m not giving it to a DOJ official,” Maya replied, turning toward the heavy oak front door where a black federal transport van idled in the driveway. “I’m giving it directly to the investigative press corps waiting past the police barricade.”
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