?Chapter 407:


    Silence. Not even a whisper.


    She didn’t know if the coat hadn’t been picked up yet or if they’d already found the bug.


    Either way, her nerves were on edge.


    Even after Shaun drove her home, the line stayed quiet.


    Maybe she’d blown it. Maybe she hadn’t gotten it done right. The thought gnawed at her.


    Shaun turned off the engine and gave Ste’s shoulder a light pat. “The guy probably just hasn’t grabbed his coat yet. Give it a little time—something might stille through. You’ve been running on fumes all day. Go up, rest. You need it.”


    “Thanks, Mr. Smith,” she said, mustering a tired smile. “If anything new turns up, I’ll ping you.”


    This whole thing wasn’t even her responsibility to begin with. It was Shaun’spany that had been pulled into the mess.


    But after meeting Finley’s family… after seeing the grief in their eyes… Ste couldn’t walk away anymore. She had to see it through. Nixon had to go down.


    Back in her apartment, she dropped onto the couch like dead weight. The moment she caught her breath, she plugged the bug into a speaker, hoping for a miracle.


    She set it on the table and headed into the kitchen to fix herself something for dinner. Dishes. A hot shower. Still no sound.


    By the time she came back to the living room, the silence was screaming louder than anything. Her chest was heavy with that sick, hollow feeling—disappointment settling in like a stone.


    She remembered her promise to the victim’s family to ensure Nixon would face justice. But now, she wasn’t sure she could keep that promise. She kept wondering if the evidence they had was enough to nail Nixon.


    Even if they did manage to charge Nixon, what if he only served a year? That wouldn’t be justice. Not for Finley. Not for his family. Not even close.


    She wanted Nixon to rot in prison.


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    But the evidence she had seemed insufficient.


    She sighed, ncing at the time—3 a.m. Shoulders slumped, she moved to shut theptop and kill the lights.


    But just as her hand reached for the switch—rustling. She froze.


    Startled, she immediately turned the lights back on.


    The sound wasn’t from the room—it wasing from the speaker.


    Heart racing, Ste dropped to the floor and pressed her ear close. A secondter, the static crackled again… followed by voices.


    “Why did the boss suddenly ask us to clean this ce out? It’s been abandoned for years. Feels like asking for trouble.”


    “You don’t get it. There’s stuff in here from way back. I heard that dead guy’s daughter is poking around again. Boss doesn’t want anything leaking.”


    Ste held her breath. Even though she knew they couldn’t hear her, she didn’t dare to make a sound.


    “You mean… that case? It’s been what—five, six years? They’re still not over it? Tell me about it. Honestly, they should’ve been handled a long time ago. You know where they live—middle of nowhere. Even if they dropped dead, who’d know?”


    The voices continued flowing from the speaker.


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