Chapter 15
chapter
fifteen
Lawson spread Monica's documents across her kitchen table. Bank statements from Monica's final six months, mixed in with utility bills and credit card receipts, all tucked away in a manila envelope that anyone else would have overlooked.
She organized the papers chronologically. Monica's regular paycheck deposits appeared every two weeks, matching department pay scales exactly. Rent payments on the fifteenth. Grocery purchases at the same three stores. The predictable financial rhythm of a working cop's life.
Then she found the irregularities.
Five deposits over Monica's final three months. Each for exactly $5,000. Each from a source listed only as "Private Transfer - Account #472891." No name. No institution identifier. Just numbers that provided no context.
Lawson checked the dates against her memory of Monica's investigation timeline.
The first deposit coincided with Monica's assignment to the Rafferty case.
The last appeared three days before her death.
Thousands of dollars in unexplained income during the period when Monica was documenting departmental corruption.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Fiona: Need comment on Blackwell's latest episode for Chronicle story. Coffee?
Lawson stared at the bank statements, then at Fiona's message. She needed someone with investigative resources that wouldn't raise red flags.
Someone who might prove useful despite her reservations about trusting any journalist.
Perimeter Coffee. One hour.
The response came quickly: I'll be there.
Fiona had claimed the corner booth again, laptop open, notepad covered in her precise handwriting. She looked up as Lawson approached, closing the computer with care.
"Thanks for meeting."
Lawson slid into the opposite seat, placing the bank statements face-down on the table. "Need your help with something."
"What kind of something?"
Lawson flipped the documents over. Fiona's eyes immediately focused on the highlighted deposits, journalist instincts activated by the sight of potential evidence.
"Monica's financial records. Found them mixed in with her personal effects." Lawson pointed to the mysterious transfers. "Five payments over three months. Same amount each time."
Fiona leaned forward, scanning the numbers with practiced efficiency. She pulled out her phone, opening a note-taking app. "This account number provide any leads?"
"Private transfer requires court order for disclosure."
"Which you can't obtain without active case status." Fiona photographed the statements. "But I have other options."
"Banking sources?"
"I've got a friend who was a financial crimes reporter. Worked that beat for twelve years. Developed contacts throughout the industry." Fiona gave her a pointed look. "What's your theory about these deposits?"
"Either Monica was taking money from someone, or someone wanted it to look like she was."
"Payoffs from criminal informants?"
"Department protocol requires documentation of all informant payments. These don't appear in any official records." Lawson tapped the account number. "Someone went to considerable effort to keep these transfers invisible."
Fiona studied the timeline more carefully. "Rafferty case assignment here. First payment arrives. Investigation deepens, payments continue. She dies, payments stop. Perfect correlation between her progress and the money."
"Or a perfect setup if someone wanted to discredit her investigation," Lawson said defensively. "Plant evidence of corruption in the investigator's finances. Classic misdirection strategy."
Monica's reputation for integrity had been absolute within the department. Financial impropriety would have destroyed that reputation posthumously, undermining any evidence she'd gathered.
"I need to trace the source," Lawson said, trying to calm herself down. "Confirm whether Monica even knew about these deposits."
"My contact can help with technical tracking. But I need something from you." Fiona leaned back, switching to negotiation mode. "Background on Monica's investigation. Context for what these payments might represent."
"Most of her case materials were seized during the official investigation."
"But you maintained copies of key documents. Smart detectives always keep insurance files." Fiona's assessment carried certainty rather than speculation. "Especially when working corruption cases."
Lawson considered the request. Sharing Monica's materials violated department protocols and potentially compromised ongoing investigations.
"What I share stays confidential until we understand what we're dealing with."
"Agreed." Fiona extended her hand across the table. "Temporary partnership. Your police expertise, my financial resources."
They shook hands, and both stood simultaneously, business concluded. Fiona paused at the coffee shop exit.
"Why approach me with this? Could have taken it directly to federal investigators."
Lawson pushed through the door, the afternoon heat hitting her face as they emerged onto the sidewalk. "Because you understand how narratives get constructed around incomplete information. If someone planted this money trail, they built it knowing how investigators would interpret the evidence."
"You need someone who thinks like the people creating false stories."
"Exactly."