Chapter 4 - THE PEN WAS NOT CLAIRE'S
Maya Sloan arrived within an hour.
Claire’s attorney had seen enough wealthy-family disasters to distrust any object described as “the proof.”
She examined the pen.
Then frowned.
“This isn’t yours.”
Claire stared.
“What?”
Maya unscrewed the barrel.
No engraved initials.
Claire’s recording pen had a tiny scratch near the clip from when it fell onto concrete.
This one did not.
Same model.
Different pen.
Claire went cold.
“They switched it.”
“Maybe.”
“When?”
Claire thought.
At home, after signing, Daniel took the pen.
She grabbed it back.
Then slept with it under her pillow.
Morning:
Lorraine made coffee.
Daniel showered.
Claire changed clothes.
Her purse sat on the kitchen chair.
Five minutes unattended.
Enough.
Then Maya asked:
“Who brought you to the station?”
Lorraine.
Daniel came separately with counsel.
During the drive, Lorraine asked to hold Claire’s purse because Claire’s hands were shaking.
Claire had let her.
There.
Maya looked at Harris.
“If the pen was swapped in transit, the original may still exist.”
Harris did not leap to believe.
Good.
He asked:
“Do you have purchase records?”
Claire did.
Serial number registered through the manufacturer’s companion app.
Maya opened Claire’s email.
Receipt.
Device ID:
R7-1842.
Harris checked the silent pen.
R7-2199.
Different.
Claire’s entire body went still.
The pen was not hers.
She had not imagined the recording.
Someone replaced it.
Then Harris called for a search warrant.
May you like
Not only for Daniel.
For Lorraine too.
