Chapter 15 - Handing Over the Proof
Twenty minutes later, I walked back into Detective Harris's office at the Rapid City Police Department and placed the ten torn pages of the ledger squarely on his gray laminate desk.
Harris picked them up, scanned the neat handwritten columns of overseas bank routing numbers, supplier names in Guangzhou, and profit-splitting percentages between Kevin and Courtney, and let out a long, impressed whistle.
"Well, Mr. Miller," Harris said, looking up with a newfound respect in his eyes. "You certainly don't do things by halves. Where did you find these?"
"My mother's kitchen table," I said simply, taking a seat opposite him. "She was trying to protect Kevin. But my father convinced her to do the right thing."
"This changes everything," Harris said, tapping the papers against the desk to align them neatly. "These names... these aren't just small-time local buyers. This is a primary distribution pipeline. Federal marshals are going to be very interested in this."
"Does this mean my parents will face charges?" I asked, a lingering knot of anxiety tightening in my chest. Despite everything, they were still my parents.
Detective Harris leaned back, folding his hands over his stomach. "Obstruction is a serious charge, Mr. Miller. But cooperation goes a very long way in federal court. If your mother hands over any remaining digital records voluntarily and signs a sworn affidavit stating she had no active financial participation in the scheme, the U.S. Attorney's office will likely issue a stern warning rather than an indictment. But Kevin and Courtney? They're entirely on their own."
"Fair enough," I said, standing up and extending my hand. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"Will do, Mr. Miller. And for what it's worth... you're a good father. Protecting your daughter from that kind of toxicity takes real backbone."
May you like
I offered a tight, polite smile, shook the detective's hand, and walked out of the station. The afternoon sun was breaking through the lingering cloud cover, casting long, golden rays across the snowy streets of Rapid City. For the first time in months, the air in my lungs felt crisp, clean, and entirely my own.
***
