Chapter 12 - Sarah’s Journal
I wanted to reject it immediately.
Ben Alvarez had been the best agent I ever knew.
My friend.
My daughter’s godfather.
Dana stopped me.
“Evidence first.”
We searched Evelyn’s home under warrant.
The Easter party was over.
The house smelled like smoke from the grill and expensive perfume.
In a locked cabinet upstairs, we found Sarah’s journal.
Lily held it before I did.
Her mother’s handwriting.
She sat on the floor and read.
Sarah had known I worked federal cases.
Not details.
Enough.
Sixteen years earlier, she saw Ben in a Boston parking garage.
He handed Thomas Keene an envelope.
She photographed it because Ben looked frightened.
Later, Ben came to our house.
Sarah wrote:
Ben said Michael must not know yet. He said Keene has his family.
His family.
Ben had a younger brother in prison and a mother with medical debt.
Keene had leverage.
A later journal entry said:
Ben came back. He said he is pretending to cooperate so he can prove who is leaking Ashbridge.
I sat down.
Ben had been working inside the compromise.
That explained the black compass symbol.
The note.
The secrecy.
Lily touched my shoulder.
“Maybe she was protecting you.”
I looked at her.
We both heard the phrase.
She gave a sad smile.
“Yeah. I know.”
Then Dana found a page torn halfway out.
Only one line remained.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO BEN, LOOK AT MICHAEL’S EASTER—
The rest was gone.
“Easter what?” Lily asked.
I stared toward the hallway.
My black case.
Sarah had packed it for me after I resigned.
I thought I assembled it myself.
Maybe not.
Dana called the safe house.
“Secure Michael’s case. Open nothing.”
Too late.
The agent on duty said the black case was gone.
No forced entry.
No alarm.
Whoever took it used a valid federal access code.
Dana looked at me.
“Keene.”
Then Lily’s phone lit up with a photo.
The black case sitting on a table.
Beside it, today’s newspaper.
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COAST HOUSE. MIDNIGHT. COME ALONE IF YOU WANT SARAH’S LAST PAGE.
