“Charles told Ryan to lock me away until the Senator signed off on the final appropriation tonight,” she said.

“Once the transfer goes through, the evidence won’t matter anymore. They’ll destroy the records.”

Inside the kitchen, the floorboards creaked as Mercer paced toward the open door.

“I know you’re out there, Arthur,” Mercer called out, his voice closer now, echoing in the wet night.

“You’re trespassing on private property, and you’ve assaulted three security guards.”

“There’s a state-wide alert out on you.”

I reached into my inner pocket, bypassing the vibrating phone, and felt the small leather wallet resting against my ribs.

It was cold, heavy, and held a silver emblem I had not looked at in nine years.

“Can you walk?” I asked Emily, looking down at her bare, muddy feet.

“I can run if I have to,” she said, though her knees shook.

“No running,” I said. “We don’t need to run.”

The squawk of a police radio sounded from the driveway at the front of the estate.

Two sets of headlights cut through the dark pine trees, illuminating the falling rain like silver needles.