The Spoofed Message

Martin should not have been close enough to hear.

Roslyn said that first. Theo said the second thing, quieter: "He owns someone in this station."

Elise saw Roslyn absorb it without offense. Good detectives did not waste time defending rooms that had leaks.

Martin held his palms open to June. "From poverty. From instability. From a birth mother who was a child herself."

Ruby went rigid.

Claire stepped in front of June. "Do not speak to her."

"Claire, you would not have June without me."

"I would not be in this room without you either."

The sentence surprised everyone, including Claire. Elise felt a grim little pride she would never admit.

Maribel Ortiz moved June away from the hall. "The emergency petition is suspended until I verify the adoption file."

Martin's eyes cooled. "You may regret delay."

"I regret most of my job," Maribel said. "Get in line."

Roslyn almost smiled.

Theo's laptop pinged. He had been rebuilding Vivian's flash drive in the corner with the focus of a man holding his career by one finger.

"I have a partial index," he said.

Elise crossed to him.

The files had names, not contents yet: SLOANE_ORIGINAL, BELL_ADOPTION, VALE_POLICY, HARTLINE_LEDGER, KLINE_NOTARY, CRASH_AUDIO.

"Crash audio," Roslyn said.

Martin's phone buzzed again. This time every person watched his hand move toward it.

He did not answer.

Elise looked at him. "You had Vivian's phone. That is how the texts are coming."

"Prove it."

The words were too quick. Too honest.

Theo checked the signal log on June's phone. "The last text routed through a spoofing service, but the recovery number belongs to a device on HartLine's executive plan."

Roslyn stepped toward Martin. "Turn out your pockets."

He smiled again. "With a warrant."

From June's cracked phone, Vivian's old number sent one more text.

The crash audio starts with Claire screaming.