Chapter 10 - Midnight at the Precinct
The neon sign of the Midtown Precinct flashed an erratic red glow through the reinforced glass of the intake lobby. Inside, the air smelled of stale coffee, industrial cleaning fluid, and damp wool coats. Caroline sat in a hard plastic chair near the corner, wearing a plain black trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat that cast deep shadows across her face. Across the room, Elena—now disguised in a blonde wig and heavy glasses—paced nervously near the swinging doors that led to the holding cells.
The heavy steel door swung open, and a tired-looking public defender walked out, clutching a manila folder filled with paperwork. He looked around the lobby, spotting Caroline sitting alone in the corner. He walked over, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Are you Mrs. Vance?" the lawyer asked, keeping his voice low. "Julian insisted I speak with you before they transfer him to federal holding."
Caroline stood up slowly, maintaining an expression of fragile, heartbroken grief—a performance she had perfected over years of enduring Julian’s psychological manipulation. "Is he alright? How is he handling this?"
"He's frantic about his personal items," the lawyer sighed, shaking his head. "Specifically an encrypted hardware drive he claims contains proprietary family trust documents. He begged me to get it released from the evidence bag before the federal marshals inventory it at dawn."
Caroline suppressed a triumphant smile. The trap was closing exactly as she had calculated. "Did the desk sergeant agree to release it?"
"Only if an authorized family member signs a temporary property waiver," the lawyer said, pulling a clipboard from under his arm. "He told me to find you or Marcus. Since Marcus is unreachable, you'll have to sign it."
Caroline took the clipboard, her hand steady as she scanned the legal waiver. She signed Marcus’s forged authorization code at the bottom, knowing the desk sergeant wouldn't cross-reference it at two in the morning. She handed the clipboard back to the lawyer.
"I'll handle the paperwork with the sergeant directly," Caroline said softly. "You’ve done enough for tonight."
May you like
As the lawyer walked away toward the exit, Caroline signaled subtly to Elena across the room. Elena nodded once, slipping through the swinging doors toward the secure evidence lockers while the night-shift officer was distracted by a commotion at the front desk.
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