Chapter 16 - The Woman Who Made the Call
Elaine didn't go to the police because she was suddenly good. She went because she'd heard the tape, knew Otis was willing to testify, and understood that silence couldn't protect her anymore.
I met her at Miriam's office after her first interview with detectives. She looked exhausted. A lawyer sat beside her, holding a yellow pad.
"Why are you telling them you caused the fire?" I asked.
"Because I ordered the guard to lock the east door."
Elaine explained that Richard had arranged an inventory check after the night shift. He suspected Nora had copied shipment records. He wanted everyone funneled through the main exit where security could search bags. Elaine had phoned the guard and said the east door must stay chained.
"I thought the building was empty," she said. "Then I heard Nora on the radio. She was trapped."
"So you opened it."
She shook her head.
"Say it," I demanded.
"I called Richard. He told me not to let anybody open the door until security had searched the office. I followed his order."
"And people died."
"Yes."
I wanted her to defend herself so I could keep being angry at a lie. Instead she sat there and took each word I threw.
"You told Daniel his baby was dead," I said. "You let me grow up thinking I had to earn your love. You watched Richard hit me."
"I know."
"Knowing doesn't fix it."
"No," she said. "It doesn't."
Her lawyer slid an affidavit onto the table. Elaine had admitted falsifying the adoption documents and helping cover up the fire report. She had supplied old correspondence, including the instructions Richard sent to security before the warehouse burned. The prosecutor would decide what charges fit. Her confession wasn't a pardon.
Elsewhere, Tessa published the media consultant's invoice and the original recording from which portions of my voice had been lifted. An independent audio analyst identified edits and synthetic reconstruction artifacts. The fake confession began to collapse.
I walked out before Elaine could ask for forgiveness. In the parking lot, the sun felt offensively warm.
Miriam's phone rang. She listened, then looked at me.
"Richard knows Elaine is cooperating," she said. "His private plane is being fueled."
May you like
"Where's he going?"
"Nobody at the company will say. And the district attorney just requested an arrest warrant."
