The wet grit of the shoulder dug into Addison Cole’s palms like crushed glass. She didn't cry out; she didn't have the air to spare. Every single resource her body possessed had been redirected to a s

Back at the precinct, the federal investigation into Richard Sterling was expanding into a massive corporate corruption scandal. What began as a domestic highway dispute had blown the lid off a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme operating under the guise of high-end real estate development.

Marcus Taylor dropped a thick manila folder onto Evelyn’s desk, sinking heavily into his own chair. “You won’t believe what the feds found in Richard’s downtown office safe.”

Evelyn looked up from her computer, spinning her chair around. “More offshore accounts?”

“Try offshore shell companies, forged signatures, and a ledger of payoffs to local zoning commissioners,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “The guy was running a criminal enterprise disguised as a family business. Elena is cooperating fully with the federal prosecutors, trading her knowledge of his inner circle for immunity from the fraud charges. She’s divorcing him, liquidating everything, and moving to Europe by the end of the month.”

“And Richard?” Evelyn asked.

“Stuck in federal holding without the possibility of bail,” Marcus replied with a grim satisfaction. “His high-priced defense attorneys tried to argue that his human rights were violated during the traffic stop on the interstate. The judge threw the motion out in under five minutes, citing exigent circumstances and the immediate danger to a minor child.”

Evelyn nodded, feeling a deep sense of professional closure. In police work, officers rarely got to see the long-term aftermath of the calls they responded to. Usually, they dropped people off at hospitals or jails and never knew how the story ended. But this case had been different. The image of Chloe sitting in the dirt with the pink blanket had burned itself into Evelyn’s memory, demanding a proper resolution.

“I’m driving Chloe and Lily to the regional airport tomorrow morning for their flight back to Ohio,” Evelyn said suddenly.

Marcus looked up, surprised. “Off duty?”

“Off duty,” Evelyn confirmed with a small smile. “She doesn’t want to take a bus, and honestly, after everything she’s been through, I want to make sure she gets through security without looking over her shoulder.”