Chapter 8 - OPENING THE BLACK FOLDER
When I reached the altar, Holt grabbed my wrist in a blind panic, hissing at me to go change into something normal. I ignored him, reached into my sequined clutch, pulled out the foam red nose, and placed it neatly beside the floral arrangement on the altar table. Then, turning to face the congregation and locking eyes with a smug Vivian in the front row, I lifted the black leather compliance folder I had kept hidden beneath my arm.
“You wanted everybody to see the clown,” I announced clearly, my voice carrying effortlessly across the silent gardens. Vivian’s smile widened as she urged me not to make a spectacle. I smiled back with icy sweetness. “Oh, Vivian. The spectacle hasn’t started yet.” Opening the folder, I revealed tabbed documents clearly labeled BANK RECORDS, SHELL COMPANY TRANSFERS, and WITNESS STATEMENTS.
