“Natalie Richards,” I said, my voice tight.

“Colonel Richards, this is Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Vance’s office,” a woman’s voice said.

I pressed the phone closer to my ear.

“I have the preliminary review of the files you submitted earlier,” she said.

The air in the room felt heavy and still.

“What is the assessment?” I asked.

Eleanor leaned closer to the desk, her fingers gripping the edge of the wood.

“The evidence of procurement fraud from seventeen years ago is comprehensive,” the clerk said.

I felt a brief surge of hope, but the tone of her voice kept me grounded.

“However,” she continued, “the statute of limitations for federal procurement fraud under Title 18 is five years.”

The words felt like cold water.

“Are there no tolling provisions that apply here?” I asked.

“Not for a period of seventeen years,” she replied.

“But this was a conspiracy that resulted in a soldier’s death,” I said, my voice rising slightly.

“Under the current federal statutes, the criminal prosecution for the fraud itself is time-barred,” she said.

“So Gregory cannot be indicted for the original theft?” I asked.