PART 21
The hospital smelled of bleach and old flowers.
Federal agents stood outside Claire’s room,
their hands resting near their holstered weapons.
I walked inside alone,
leaving Noah with an agent in the playroom.
Claire looked tiny in the hospital bed,
her right shoulder heavily bandaged,
her face pale and bruised.
When she saw me,
she burst into tears,
reaching out with her left hand.
"Emma,"
she choked out,
"I’m so sorry."
"Dad...
it’s my fault."
"If I hadn't brought Ethan into our lives,
he’d still be here."
I stood at the foot of the bed,
my arms crossed,
feeling a mix of intense anger and deep sorrow.
"You lied to me for years, Claire."
"You stole my name,"
"my money,"
"my peace."
"I know,"
she sobbed,
"I know."
"I was stupid,"
"Ethan made me feel special,"
"he said we were building a future."
"But when he started talking about taking Noah,
I tried to back out."
"That’s when he threatened me."
"He showed me what Judge Vance did to people who talk."
She reached under her pillow with a groan,
pulling out a small,
scuffed USB drive.
"Ethan gave me this during the trial,"
"hidden in a legal document."
"He told me if anything happened to him,
I had to give it to you."
"It’s not financial records, Emma."
"It’s audio files."
"Ethan recorded every conversation he had with the Judge."
"He kept receipts of the bribes,"
"the names of the hitmen Vance used,"
"and the location of the safe house where Vance keeps his personal cash."
I took the small piece of plastic,
it felt heavy in my hand.
"Why didn't you give this to the police before?"
I asked,
my voice tight.
"Because Vance’s son was the detective on the case,"
she whispered,
staring at the ceiling.
"He told me if I produced this,
Noah wouldn't make it to his fifth birthday."
The snake had wrapped itself around every exit.
But now,
May you like
the feds had the ledger,
and I had the voice of the devil himself.
