Chapter 8: The Move Christopher Had Left
He made it that evening.
I was walking to my car in the parking structure when I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned.
Christopher.
He was in his coat, no badge, hands in his pockets.
He looked tired in a way I hadn't seen before.
The controlled expression was still there, but something underneath it had shifted.
"I told you not to contact me," I said.
"I know." He stopped a few feet away.
"I'm not here to threaten you, Isabel.
I'm past that."
"Then what are you here for?"
He looked at the concrete floor for a moment.
"I want you to know that what I said in my office — about marrying you for cover — that wasn't true.
Not entirely."
"Christopher—"
"I'm not asking you to change anything.
I know what's coming.
I've known since Gerald called me this afternoon." He looked up.
"I just needed you to know that I did love you.
In whatever way I was capable of.
I know that doesn't fix anything."
I looked at him for a long moment.
"Did you know about the fraud before we got married?"
He held my gaze.
"Yes."
"And you let me recuse myself from your department for four years.
You watched me bend over backwards to protect your career.
Knowing the whole time."
"Yes."
"And you thought that if it ever came apart, you could use my father to keep me quiet."
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
"That's not love, Christopher." I picked up my keys.
"That's just a longer con."
I walked to my car.
"Isabel." His voice came from behind me.
"For what it's worth — I never thought you'd actually do it.
Report it, I mean.
I thought when it came down to it, you'd protect your father."
I opened the car door.
"I am protecting my father," I said.
"This is what that looks like."
I drove away and didn't look in the mirror.
Three days later, Diane called me at seven in the morning.
"The state compliance office forwarded the disclosure to the federal level yesterday," she said.
"The U.S.
Attorney's office opened a preliminary inquiry this morning."
"How long does a preliminary inquiry take?"
"Months.
Sometimes longer.
But Isabel — they moved fast.
That means they already had something.
Your disclosure connected dots that were already being watched."
I sat with that for a moment.
"My father?"
"His cooperation is documented.
His attorney has been in contact with the inquiry team.
It won't be painless for him, but he's not the target."
"And Christopher?"
"He's the target." A pause.
"Gerald Shepherd is also named."
I stood at my kitchen window.
The snow from the week before had mostly melted.
The street outside was gray and ordinary and quiet.
"Diane," I said.
"Is it over?"
"The investigation is just starting.
But your part — the part where you had to decide — that's done." Her voice softened slightly.
"You did the right thing, Isabel.
At considerable cost to yourself.
That matters."
I thanked her and set the phone down.
I made coffee.
One cup.
I sat at the kitchen table with my legal pad, the one I had started the morning I walked out of Christopher's office.
May you like
I turned to the last page I had written on and drew a single line under the final entry.
Then I closed it.
