Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Tried to Leave
Attorney Melissa Grant had nearly reached the apartment door before Detective Susan Ortega's voice stopped her.
"Ms. Grant."
The lawyer froze, though only for a fraction of a second.
"Please don't leave yet."
Melissa slowly turned around, forcing a polite smile.
"Detective, unless I'm being detained, I have another appointment."
"You might," Ortega replied evenly. "But at the moment, you're the attorney who presented documents that may have been supported by fabricated evidence. We'd appreciate your cooperation."
Melissa crossed her arms.
"I represent my client. Nothing more."
Officer Marcus Hale stepped beside Ortega and held up the emergency custody packet.
"Then perhaps you can explain why these photographs appear to have been taken after an unauthorized entry into Mrs. Carter's apartment."
Melissa's expression remained controlled.
"I cannot comment on allegations."
Rachel watched from across the room, still holding Lily while Noah stood close beside her. Her heart continued pounding, but something had changed. For the first time that day, she was no longer the only person answering questions.
Now someone else was.
Detective Ortega noticed Melissa subtly tightening her grip around her purse.
"Would you mind placing your phone on the table?"
Melissa looked surprised.
"I don't see why that would be necessary."
"Because since this investigation began," Ortega answered calmly, "you've attempted to leave twice, checked your phone four times, and each time you received a notification, you became noticeably more anxious."
The apartment fell silent.
Melissa slowly placed her purse on the dining table but kept one hand resting on it.
"I have confidential client communications."
"And we are not asking to read them," Hale replied. "We're simply asking that no one involved in this matter contacts potential witnesses until we understand what happened."
Rachel glanced toward Evelyn Brooks, who quietly squeezed Noah's shoulder.
"She's scared," Evelyn whispered.
Rachel nodded.
"So am I."
Before anyone could speak again, another officer entered the apartment carrying a cardboard evidence box.
"Detective Ortega?"
"What did you find?"
"The building manager gave us access to the hallway trash container."
He opened the box.
Inside sat a torn black garbage bag.
The same one shown in Evelyn's security footage.
Everyone leaned closer.
The officer carefully removed several items using gloves.
Broken ceramic plates.
Food containers covered with mold.
Empty beer bottles.
Children's toys snapped into pieces.
Rachel immediately shook her head.
"Those aren't ours."
Officer Hale looked at her.
"You're certain?"
Rachel pointed at one of the toys.
"Noah has never owned that truck. And those plates... mine are white. Those are blue."
Noah stepped forward cautiously.
"My dinosaur cup isn't there."
Hale gave the child a gentle smile.
"Good observation."
The evidence technician reached deeper into the bag.
"There are documents underneath."
He carefully unfolded several crumpled papers.
One of them immediately caught Ortega's attention.
It was a receipt.
She read it silently.
Then looked up.
"This receipt is from a self-storage facility."
Officer Hale frowned.
"Dated three weeks ago."
Another receipt appeared beneath it.
This one listed cleaning supplies.
Industrial trash bags.
Disposable gloves.
Strong adhesive tape.
Rachel stared at the paperwork.
"What does that mean?"
Ortega slowly connected the timeline.
"Someone didn't create this plan overnight."
She spread the receipts across the table.
"They were preparing weeks in advance."
The room grew quiet again.
Melissa Grant avoided looking at the evidence.
Instead, she stared out the apartment window.
Officer Hale noticed.
"What are you looking at?"
Melissa answered too quickly.
"Nothing."
Hale walked toward the window.
Across the street, a black SUV had just started its engine.
Its windows were heavily tinted.
The driver appeared to be watching the apartment.
As soon as Hale looked directly toward the vehicle, it accelerated away without signaling.
"License plate!" another officer shouted from the hallway.
Two patrol officers immediately rushed downstairs.
Detective Ortega turned back toward Melissa.
"Do you know whose vehicle that was?"
"I have no idea."
Her answer came instantly.
Too instantly.
Officer Hale quietly wrote something in his notebook.
Rachel watched his expression.
"What is it?"
Hale looked at the departing SUV one last time.
"Either someone is nervous..."
He closed the notebook.
"...or someone is making sure this investigation never reaches the courtroom."
Before anyone could respond, Hale's phone vibrated.
He answered immediately.
"Marcus Hale."
His expression changed within seconds.
"What?"
Everyone waited.
When he finally lowered the phone, his face had become unusually serious.
"The judge whose signature appears on this custody order..."
May you like
He looked around the apartment.
"...just informed us that he never signed it."
