Page 55 of Lion & Lamb

Boss—this is important. Please read this before you talk to anyone else. I have solid confirmation on the Archie Hughes abuse allegations.

This comes right from a private server in the Radnor PD. As I’ve mentioned before, almost every police department’s intranet is a joke. They might as well pin every confidential file to the nearest utility pole. But the one in the Radnor superintendent’s office is different; they spent a bit of money keeping this one locked down tight, with no connection to the internet.

Of course this is no big deal for me. I have a source inside the Radnor PD who has a way to access this server. You’ve told me time and again that you don’t want to know how the sausage is made. Fair enough. But just know that the full cost of this particular sausage will be included in my next invoice.

On that confidential server were two reports of calls to the Hughes house, one in October, another in late December. The circumstances were vague initially but were later reported as a dispute between the gardener and the pool-maintenance man (October) and teenage kids goofing around in the neighborhood (December).

However, these calls were downgraded after the fact. The initial reports were clearly domestic violence calls, and both reports ended up on the superintendent’s private server.

There is no record of who placed the reports on the confidential server, but it’s fair to assume that this was the decision of the superintendent, as he is the only one with access.

I’ve attached the compete files, which include photos of Francine Pearl Hughes. Needless to say, they are graphic.

My contact knows what is in these reports. Don’t worry; this personis rock solidand trustworthy. There will be no leaks. But my contact did pass along a warning to me to watch my back.

So I’m passing the same along to you. Keep your eyes open, boss.

Thursday, January 27

Chapter55

COOPER LAMB / VOICE MEMO #0127-735

Once more I sit in an ice-cold car on a freezing street in downtown Philadelphia. I think I’ve been doing this job too long. When I die and my life flashes before my eyes, about eighty percent of it will be me sitting in an ice-cold car on a freezing street in downtown Philadelphia.

Except this time is different, because this city is on the verge of exploding and I’m watching a bunch of volatile chemicals swirl around, ready to combust at any moment.

Speaking of volatile…

Hi, Maya Rain. Your lights are on. You awake up there? Cleaning up messes? Did you fall asleep studying? Or are you entertaining someone special at this late hour? Perhaps the same someone who is paying for that condo, since I know even a top-drawer nanny couldn’t afford a place like that.

Yes, I know this is sort of stalkerish behavior. Scratch that—this isstraight-upstalker behavior. But Maya is the one piece that doesn’t quite fit. Doesn’t make sense that someone this special would be involved in this case by accident.

Okay, yeah, I heard what I just said about Maya being special. Victor, you can stop rolling your eyes.

Let’s talk about the other volatile chemicals at play. Starting with the chemicals in my own lab.

Francine is potentially the most volatile chemical of all. In a weird way, it’d be so much easier if I knew she did it, because then I could take steps to minimize the blowback. Hell, those psycho texts from Archie would acquit her in the eyes of most Philadelphians. The bastard essentially threatened to break her beautiful face. Not a good look, Mr. Greatest of All Time.

But I know she didn’t kill Archie, even if she’s not telling me everything. But why is that? Is it because she’s protecting her children? If so, from what? Let’s say Archie and the Sables were up to some shady Super Bowl stuff. Any kind of shame associated with fraud the children might feel is nothing compared to seeing their mother sent to prison for life. Must be something else.

Who can tell me about that something?

Maybe Lisa Marchese. Wait—of courseshe knows, otherwise she wouldn’t have handed me those text messages, right? Victor, redouble your efforts on her law firm’s servers. I know you’ve already searched them, but there must be something in a file somewhere. Maybe there’s a hidden server inside Marchese’s office, one that requires the talents of one of your secret sausage men.

Okay, I can’t believe I said that last part out loud.

Who else, who else…well, who else is obvious. I’m parked outside of her condo right now.

Maya Rain had a front-row seat to the Hughes Family Drama for the past few months. She’s in a unique position to know most, if not all, of what Francine is so desperate to hide.

Maybe I should just climb out of this cold car, walk up to Maya’s condo, and ask her in person.

Chapter56

1:04 a.m.

“WHAT’S THIS?”

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