Chapter 11 - Dawn Renders the Verdict
By five o'clock in the morning, the heavy oak doors of the private dining room were unlocked, and the early gray light of dawn was filtering through the high leaded-glass windows. I stood beside the main table, smoothing out the white linen tablecloth where the confrontation had begun days earlier. The multi-tiered crystal chandelier overhead cast sharp, glittering reflections across the polished dark wood walls. My uniform was clean, my hair was pinned back into its usual tight bun, and my black notebook lay open beside a silver water pitcher, its pages fully updated with the night's final entries.
The heavy footsteps of the restaurant's general manager echoed down the corridor, followed closely by two men in dark business suits who carried heavy leather briefcases. They weren't security enforcers; they were federal marshals accompanied by the lead investigator from the state attorney general's office. The general manager stopped short at the threshold, his face pale and sweating despite the cool morning air, looking between me and the official documents spread across the table.
"Mara," the lead investigator said, flashing a silver badge before stepping into the private dining space. "Mr. Vance indicated that you had documentation regarding the asset transfers through this establishment's accounts."
I picked up my black notebook, holding it firmly in both hands without opening it. "Every transaction from the past three fiscal quarters is recorded here," I said, my voice steady and clear in the quiet room. "Including the dummy corporation names Mrs. Renaldi used to purchase the downtown properties."
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Before the investigator could take the notebook, the side door clicked open, and Mrs. Renaldi stood on the threshold. She wore a tailored white silk blouse instead of her usual evening wear, but her expression was one of pure, unadulterated fury as she took in the federal agents and the open ledgers. She opened her mouth to speak, her eyes locking onto mine with a venomous intensity, but before a single word could escape her lips, Julian stepped out from the hallway behind her, placing a firm, gloved hand on the doorframe to block her exit.
"It's over, Elena," Julian said quietly, his tone absolute and final. "Sit down. We have paperwork to finish."
