Chapter 15 - REED'S LAST ORDER
Ballistics traced the shot to a rifle recovered in a parking-deck stairwell.
No fingerprints.
A camera caught Judge Reed leaving the level minutes earlier.
His public mask was gone.
Federal prosecutors charged him with attempted murder.
The city released his photograph statewide.
Reed responded by sending a video to a television station.
He called himself a victim of corrupt investigators.
He said Harbor saved children from unstable homes.
He said Daniel Grant manipulated records.
Then he made his mistake.
He mentioned Mia Santos.
Her name had not been made public.
Only investigators knew she was alive.
Emily watched the video twice.
"He's scared of her testimony."
Reed had one remaining goal.
Discredit the witness.
Within hours, anonymous posts appeared claiming Mia had severe delusions.
The attached medical report was signed by Dr. Hale.
Created two years earlier.
The lie had been prepared before anyone needed it.
Hale saw the media coverage from jail and asked to cooperate.
He admitted diagnosing children without proper evaluations.
He admitted prescribing drugs to parents to make them appear impaired.
He admitted falsifying Sarah's file.
Then Emily asked:
"Who killed Daniel Grant?"
Hale looked at the table.
"Reed ordered Ryan to disable the brakes."
"And Catherine?"
"She knew Reed wanted Daniel stopped."
"Did she know how?"
"I don't know."
That distinction would matter in court.
Then Hale revealed Reed's emergency plan.
If exposed, he would destroy the pooled trust server.
The real server.
Not the copy at the hospital.
It was hidden inside an abandoned records annex beneath the old juvenile courthouse.
Emily looked at Collins.
They moved.
Inside the annex, smoke was already rising.
Reed stood beside the server cabinets with gasoline at his feet.
He held a lighter.
"One step and thirty years disappear."
Emily lowered her weapon slightly.
"No."
Reed smiled.
"You think I'm bluffing?"
Emily looked past him.
A red light blinked on the ceiling.
Fire suppression.
She said:
"I think Daniel was smarter than you."
Reed frowned.
Then the system activated.
Foam exploded through the room.
May you like
The lighter died in his hand.
And behind Reed, a camera Daniel installed years earlier was still recording.
