“Yes.”
He whispered something.
“What?”
“They said the phone would be clean.”
Naomi leaned forward.
“Who told you that?”
Mercer looked at her.
“Your husband.”
The room went silent.
Naomi did not move.
Lewis stood behind the one-way glass.
Mercer watched her face.
“Daniel Ellison.”
Naomi's expression became unreadable.
“Say it again.”
“Daniel Ellison.”
“Why?”
“He was the intermediary.”
Naomi's breathing became slow.
“Between whom?”
“Northstar and the department.”
She stood.
Mercer looked frightened.
“I didn't know what they were planning.”
Naomi walked to the door.
“Naomi.”
She stopped.
Mercer looked at her.
“I didn't know they were going to use you.”
She turned.
“What did you think they were going to do?”
He looked down.
“Make you look corrupt.”
“Why?”
“So nobody would believe you.”
She stared at him.
“And Daniel?”
Mercer swallowed.
“He said it would be enough to ruin your credibility.”
Naomi left the room.
The hallway seemed longer than before.
Lewis waited.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe him?”
Naomi stopped.
“I don't know.”
“Daniel is your husband.”
“I know.”
“Do you think he betrayed you?”
Naomi looked through the window into the interview room.
“I think I have spent six years believing I knew my husband.”
She looked away.
“And now I don't know what I knew at all.”
At 11:40 a.m., Naomi left the sheriff's headquarters.
She didn't call Daniel.
She didn't text him.
She didn't tell him what Mercer had said.
Instead, she drove to a small federal operations office on the other side of the county.
Atlas was waiting there.
The German Shepherd stood as soon as she entered.
He walked directly toward her.
Naomi knelt.
“Hey.”
Atlas pressed his head against her shoulder.
She closed her eyes.
For several seconds, she simply held him.
Then Atlas suddenly lifted his head.
His ears went forward.
He looked toward the hallway.
Naomi followed his gaze.
A man stood near the doorway.
Daniel.
Her husband.
He looked exhausted.
His shirt was wrinkled.
His face was pale.
He had clearly been awake for hours.
“Naomi.”
She stood.
“Don't.”
Daniel stopped.
“I need to explain.”
“No.”
“I can explain.”
“You should have explained six years ago.”
He closed his eyes.
“You know.”
“I know enough.”
“What did Mercer tell you?”
“That you were Northstar's intermediary.”
Daniel looked at Atlas.
Then back at her.
“That's not what happened.”
“Then tell me what happened.”
He didn't answer.
Naomi's voice became quiet.
“That silence is becoming an answer.”
Daniel walked closer.