Ronald sat at a corner table with Victor Hale.
Beside Ronald sat Priscilla, pearls gleaming at her throat.
And across from them—
I leaned closer.
Across from them was a woman with auburn hair pinned neatly behind one ear.
Not Marina.
Her younger sister.
Madeline Shaw.
My stomach turned.
Madeline worked at Shaw & Pierce as an administrative coordinator. She had no access to sealed legal strategy, at least none officially. But she handled calendars. Conference rooms. Courier receipts. Document intake. The quiet machinery of a law firm.
In the video, Ronald slid a folder across the table.
Madeline opened it.
Priscilla said something I couldn’t hear.
Victor Hale placed a phone on the table between them, screen up.
Madeline hesitated only once.
Then she nodded.
The video ended.
I sat very still.
The flash drive contained a second file.
Audio only.
I pressed play.
Madeline’s voice came first, strained and low.
