Chapter 15 - Samantha Knew First
June remembered Samantha immediately.
“She was kind.”
That was the first thing she said.
We sat inside the investigator's temporary office at the hotel.
“Samantha was the only supervisor who ever asked if the deductions looked right.”
“What happened?”
“She disappeared.”
“You were told she died?”
June shook her head.
“They told us she quit.”
Leah placed the death report on the table.
June covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.”
Samantha Vale had died walking home after an evening shift.
A vehicle struck her at 11:18 p.m.
No plate.
No usable camera footage.
No arrest.
At the time, police classified it as a traffic fatality.
Then Leah found an email from Samantha to Raymond.
The date was four days before her death.
I KNOW WHAT NORTHSTAR IS DOING.
I HAVE COPIES.
IF BLACKWELL DOESN'T KNOW, I AM TELLING HIM.
Raymond's answer was short.
COME TO MY OFFICE TOMORROW.
WE'LL FIX IT.
There were no further emails.
My attorney looked at me.
“This changes the case.”
The investigators did not say the word murder.
They did not need to.
June was crying.
“She had a daughter.”
Nobody spoke.
“She showed me pictures.”
June pressed both hands against her face.
“All these years, I thought she moved away.”
I sat beside her.
“This is not on you.”
She lowered her hands.
“I gave Samantha my pay stub.”
“What?”
“She asked to see it.”
June's voice shook.
“She said something was wrong.”
“She told me she'd figure it out.”
I understood.
Samantha had discovered the scheme because of June.
Then she had threatened to tell me.
Raymond had brought her into his office.
Days later, she was dead.
June stood.
“He knew.”
“June—”
“He knew I was the one who gave it to her.”
“Yes.”
“That's why he kept my file.”
“Yes.”
Her anger replaced the tears.
“He wasn't monitoring me because of the letter.”
“No.”
“He was monitoring me because he thought I knew what Samantha knew.”
Exactly.
Raymond had watched June for two years because she represented an unfinished risk.
The leftovers.
The payroll question.
My insomnia.
The discovery had been accidental.
But Raymond's fear of June was not.
Marcus entered quickly.
“Raymond's vehicle was found.”
“Where?”
“Union Station parking garage.”
“Raymond?”
“Gone.”
“Cameras?”
“He changed clothes.”
“Train?”
“We're checking.”
Then Marcus looked at June.
“There was something in the car.”
He handed me a sealed evidence photograph.
Inside Raymond's trunk, investigators had found a familiar object.
A faded gray housekeeping uniform.
June's size.
And beside it, a printed badge.
JUNE CARTER.
June stared at the photograph.
“What was he planning?”
Nobody answered.
But we all understood.
Raymond was preparing to make June responsible for something.
A theft.
A break-in.
Maybe worse.
May you like
He had spent years using poor employees as shields.
And even while running, he intended to do it one final time.
