Chapter 4 - The Seventeenth PersonThere was one face in the video I didn't recognize.
A man standing near the doorway.
He never touched Claire.
He never spoke.
But he never left.
“Who is he?” I asked.
Miller checked the footage.
“We're working on it.”
That evening, Claire's best friend arrived.
Her name was Megan.
She looked exhausted.
“I know him.”
“Who?”
“The man by the door.”
She hesitated.
“His name is Daniel.”
“Family?”
“No.”
“Then why was he there?”
Megan swallowed.
“He's Nathan's attorney.”
I stared at her.
“His attorney?”
“He's represented Nathan's family for years.”
“Did he know what was happening?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He was the one who told Nathan how to make sure Claire couldn't claim self-defense.”
I felt something cold settle inside me.
This was bigger than a family assault.
Someone had planned it.
Miller agreed.
“We're treating this as organized intimidation.”
That night, I made another call.
Not to a soldier.
Not to a former commander.
To a federal prosecutor I had worked with years earlier.
“I need advice.”
“About your daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Then listen carefully.”
He gave me one instruction.
“Don't touch them.”
I smiled bitterly.
“I wasn't planning to.”
“Good.”
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“I'm going to let the law do it.”
“Then you've already won half the battle.”
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