Backup records preserved certain attachments.
And other recipients had retained messages Alan no longer possessed locally.
One email from Alan to Mallory contained a map of Hawthorne Avenue.
Eight properties were outlined in red.
The Price residence was marked with a bright yellow circle.
A note beside it read:
PRIMARY ACCESS BLOCKER. HOMEOWNER REFUSING ALL OFFERS.
Hannah opened another message.
Alan wrote that Evelyn Price's son was visiting and that he wanted an enforcement contact while the younger man was outside.
Mallory's response was brief.
I'll stop by if dispatch gets a call.
The detective stared.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then James leaned closer.
โDoes that establish they planned the shove?โ
Hannah shook her head.
โNo.โ
She considered the evidence.
โIt establishes they discussed police attention before the call. Whether Mallory intended to use unlawful force is a separate question.โ
James nodded.
Hannah continued.
โBut it contradicts the idea that he was simply an unfamiliar officer responding to an unexpected complaint.โ
She opened the next message.
The timestamp was ten minutes before the police SUV arrived at the Price residence.
Alan wrote:
He's still outside. Gray shirt. Jeans. Big guy. Make sure he understands we aren't going away.
For a long moment, the investigators sat in silence.
Then Hannah whispered.
โNow we know why Pierce was waiting on the walkway.โ
Marcus learned about the financial connection from his attorney rather than from the police department.
His attorney was a forty-six-year-old Black woman named Andrea Mills, who specialized in civil rights and government accountability cases.
She had represented employees, residents, and public agencies during a long legal career.
She was careful about evidence.
And she was particularly concerned that Marcus's position as police chief could blur boundaries if he tried to investigate his own experience.
When they met, Andrea placed a folder on the table.
โThe outside investigators have identified a possible relationship between Mallory and a business associated with Sterling Crest.โ
Marcus nodded.
โI suspected something.โ
She raised an eyebrow.
โSuspecting isn't proving.โ
He smiled faintly.
โI know.โ
Andrea opened the folder.