Callahan's smile disappeared.
"I'm trying to prevent a mistake."
"Then I suggest you allow the investigators to do their jobs."
He closed his briefcase.
"You may discover that this matter is considerably more complicated than you realize."
Victoria stepped closer.
"Perhaps. But complicated doesn't mean untouchable."
Callahan looked at her for several seconds.
Then he left.
Sarah entered almost immediately.
"Did you hear that?"
Victoria nodded.
"Every word."
"He's connected to the records."
"Yes."
Sarah looked toward the door.
"Should we add him to the investigation?"
Victoria considered the question.
"Not yet. First, we need to establish why he came here."
At 8:30 that evening, Deputy Ryan Mitchell arrived at the federal facility.
He looked nervous.
His uniform was slightly wrinkled, and he carried a large envelope.
Victoria met him in a private room.
"Deputy Mitchell. What brings you here?"
Ryan placed the envelope on the table.
"I found something."
"What?"
"Records showing that Sheriff Whitmore received payments from Donovan's companies."
Victoria opened the envelope.
Inside were copies of bank transfers, handwritten notes, and several internal emails.
Sarah examined the documents.
"Where did you get these?"
"From a computer in the sheriff's private office."
"How did you access it?"
Ryan hesitated.
"The sheriff gave me his password several months ago. He asked me to update some administrative records."
Victoria looked at him.
"Did you copy these documents without authorization?"
Ryan nodded.
"I know I shouldn't have."
Sarah's expression hardened.
"Deputy, you need to understand that unauthorized access to evidence can create serious legal problems."
"I understand."
"Why did you do it?"
Ryan lowered his head.
"Because I heard him talking to Donovan."
Victoria waited.
"He said that if the federal investigators found the second account, everyone involved would be exposed."
"Which second account?"
Ryan looked up.
"The account belonging to the person who approved the transfers."
Victoria slowly turned toward Sarah.
"Do you have the account number?"
Ryan nodded.
He took another sheet from the envelope.
At the top was a bank account identifier.
Beneath it was the name of the account holder.
Victoria read it.
Then she read it again.
The account did not belong to Whitmore.
It did not belong to Donovan.
It belonged to a charitable foundation created to support families of fallen police officers.
Sarah frowned.
"Why would that foundation be receiving money from infrastructure contracts?"
Ryan shook his head.
"I don't know."
Victoria examined the transaction dates.
There were dozens of deposits.
The total amount exceeded six million dollars.
Then she noticed the approval signature.
Richard Harlan.
But something else caught her attention.
The foundation's board of directors included a name she had seen before.
Margaret Ellis.
Victoria immediately picked up her phone.
"Get Margaret on the line."
Sarah made the call.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then a woman's voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Margaret, this is Sarah Collins. We need to speak with you immediately."
There was a pause.
"What's happened?"
Victoria took the phone.
"Margaret, we found a financial account connected to the foundation you helped establish."
Silence.
Then Margaret whispered:
"Oh, no."
Victoria looked at Sarah.
"What do you mean?"
Margaret's voice began trembling.
"That foundation was supposed to help the families of officers who died in service. We created it after a young deputy was killed during a traffic stop."
"Who managed the money?"
"Initially, I did. Then the sheriff appointed someone else."
"Who?"
Margaret hesitated.
Then she answered.
"Deputy Director Harlan's wife."
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. Her name was on the paperwork."
Sarah immediately began searching the financial records.
Margaret continued.
"But there's something else. The foundation never received the money."
Victoria froze.
"Where did it go?"
Margaret took a shaky breath.
"Someone created a second account using the foundation's name. The real foundation was empty."
Victoria looked at the transaction records.
The entire charity had been used as a financial disguise.
Money intended to help grieving families had been diverted into private accounts.
"Margaret," Victoria said, "we need you to come in tomorrow morning."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because someone is outside my house."
Victoria stood up.
"What?"
"I can see a car across the street. It's been there for almost an hour."
Sarah immediately contacted the security team.
"Margaret, lock your doors. Do not go outside. Stay on the phone with us."
The older woman began crying.
"I knew this would happen."
Victoria looked at Ryan.
"Stay here."
She turned toward Sarah.
"Get the protection team moving."
Then the phone went silent.
"Margaret?"
No answer.
"Margaret, can you hear me?"
A faint sound came through the receiver.