Chapter 9 - THE PRESS CONFERENCE
At 5:00 PM, the grand marble steps of the Metro City Courthouse were packed with news vans, flashing broadcast lights, and dozens of reporters holding microphones.
District Attorney Arthur Sterling stood at the podium, flanked by State Police officers and myself.
The air was electric with anticipation. Rumors had already leaked across local news outlets that a high-profile arrest had occurred at Montrose & Co., but nobody knew the true scale of the scandal yet.
Arthur leaned into the microphones, his voice echoing across the plaza.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Arthur began calmly. "Earlier today, an ongoing joint investigation conducted by the Regional Financial Fraud Task Force led to the execution of multiple arrest warrants at the Montrose & Co. flagship store."
The crowd of reporters erupted into a barrage of shouted questions. Arthur raised his hand, restoring order.
"The individuals arrested include Isabelle Corbo, Head of Loss Prevention; Selena Dubois; and commercial developer Victor Dubois," Arthur announced. "They are charged with felony racketeering, commercial bribery, grand larceny, and obstruction of justice."
A reporter from the Metro Times shouted out, "Is it true that Chief Elena Vance of Brook Haven was unlawfully restrained during the operation?!"
Arthur stepped back from the podium and looked at me. "I’ll let Chief Vance answer that."
I stepped up to the microphones, the bright TV lights catching the polished gold shield pinned to my blazer chest—the exact same shield Officer Caleb Stone had pulled from my pocket hours earlier.
"Thirty years ago, when I took my oath as a police officer, I swore to protect the public without fear, favor, or prejudice," I spoke, my voice strong and resonant through the speakers. "Today, an attempt was made inside that store to protect wealth and privilege at the expense of justice."
I looked directly into the news cameras, knowing Mayor Thorne and his associates were watching the live broadcast from their offices.
"Power does not shield anyone from the law in this state," I declared. "No matter how much money your family has, no matter what political office you hold, and no matter whose building your store sits in. The investigation into Vanguard Logistics and its political connections is active and ongoing."
The plaza burst into wild applause from onlookers and gathered citizens.
As I stepped back from the podium, Marcus walked up beside me, handing me a bottle of water.
May you like
"You blew the doors right off City Hall, sister," Marcus smiled proudly.
"They built the doors out of paper, Marcus," I replied, watching the news crews rush to air their live reports. "It was only a matter of time before someone brought a light."
