Chapter 4 - THE SHADOW OF THE FIRST NATIONAL
The tension in the chamber was suffocating.
Eleanor set the blue mitten down on her desk and pressed an intercom button on her phone. "Sarah, bring up the corporate filing records for First National Bank's acquisition of the Apex Medical Debt Fund."
"Right away, Judge," her secretary replied.
DA Hayes shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He took a subtle step back toward the door, his eyes darting nervously toward his briefcase. "Your Honor, the prosecution maintains that personal circumstances, no matter how tragic, cannot override statutory sentencing guidelines. If you recuse yourself due to a conflict of interest, another judge will simply issue the sentence."
Eleanor caught the tiny movement. Decades on the bench had taught her how to read a guilty man's body language better than a polygraph.
"Why are you so eager to rush this sentencing today, Hayes?" Eleanor asked smoothly, her eyes narrowing. "Usually, the DA's office takes three weeks to process grand larceny plea bargains. You pushed this case onto my emergency docket in less than forty-eight hours."
"It's a high-profile case, Your Honor—"
"No," David spoke up, his eyes suddenly burning with anger. "It's because of the second drive."
Eleanor turned to her son. "What second drive?"
"When I opened the bank manager's safe," David said, stepping closer despite the guards' tense postures, "I wasn't just looking for my daughter's trust money. I found a black thumb drive wrapped in an envelope with the DA office's seal on it. It had lists of names... property foreclosures, medical debt seizures, and offshore account transfers signed by Mr. Hayes."
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Hayes’s face went ghastly pale. "He's lying! He's a convicted felon trying to slander a public official to save his own skin!"
"I hid the drive inside Lily's winter coat before the police tackled me outside the alley," David added calmly, looking directly at Hayes. "Check the lining of her jacket."
