Chapter 4 - The Raid in BallardThe snow fell thick over Ballard, burying the rusted cars outside Warren’s garage under a blanket of white. Inside, Warren sat at a greasy wooden workbench, staring at a rusted floor safe. Calvin sat nearby, wrapped in a heavy wool blanket, sipping hot cocoa.
“Are they going to put us in jail, Dad?” Calvin asked quietly.
Warren looked up, his tough exterior softening instantly as he looked at his son. He walked over, kneeling beside the boy and pulling him into a tight embrace. “Never, Cal. I promised your mother I’d keep you safe, and I promised myself I’d never let anyone bury the truth again. We didn't do anything wrong.”
A loud thud echoed from the front bay door.
Warren stood instantly, grabbing a heavy wrench. The deadbolts rattled.
“Open up! Federal investigators! Search warrant!”
Before Warren could reach the door, it swung open. But it wasn't the FBI.
It was Camille Crowe, her designer coat soaked in snow, flanked not by armed guards, but by two state troopers and a digital forensic specialist.
Warren raised the wrench. “Get out of my shop.”
“I came for the contract, Warren,” Camille said, her hands raised to show she meant no harm. “The original signed copy. The one Richard Vance hid under your floorboards.”
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Warren stared at her, suspicious. “Why should I trust you? You’re the one who signed my eviction notice.”
“I never signed it,” Camille said, stepping closer, her eyes welling with tears. “Richard forged my signature on the severance agreement using an old power-of-attorney document. I didn't even know you existed until tonight. But my daughter remembers you. And I want to make this right.”
