Chapter 5 - The Silent PartnersThe next morning, the grand offices of the State Attorney General in downtown Seattle were bustling, but the private conference room of Detective Miller was quiet.
I sat at the long table, surrounded by thick binders of Grant’s financial records and the medical charts of Lily’s injuries. Beside me sat Evelyn Shaw, a top-tier family law attorney who specialized in high-asset divorces involving domestic abuse.
"You've done an incredible job, Claire," Evelyn said, reviewing the digital forensic audit I had prepared. "This Delaware shell company is a smoking gun. He’s been siphoning over three million dollars of municipal funds over the last thirty-six months. That’s a federal felony. Combined with the child abuse charges, he’s looking at a mandatory minimum of fifteen years."
"I don't just want him in prison, Evelyn," I said, my voice cold as ice. "I want him to experience the absolute humiliation of losing everything he stole. I want him to stand in the ruins of his empire, knowing he has nowhere to hide."
"He’s already trying to hide," Detective Miller said, walking into the room with a serious expression. "Grant’s lawyers just filed an emergency motion to release the corporate accounts, claiming the freeze is causing 'irreparable harm' to his employees. The judge has scheduled an emergency hearing for 1:00 PM today."
"Then we drop the bomb at the hearing," I said, closing my binder. "We don't just present the financial records. We present Lily’s testimony."
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"Is she strong enough?" Evelyn asked, looking concerned.
"She wants to do this, Evelyn," I said, my eyes shining with pride. "She spent two years living in terror. She wants to look her stepfather in the eye when the judge reads the indictment."
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