Chapter 169

• VALENTINA
• The coffee maker gurgled in the quiet kitchen while dawn light slipped through the blinds in thin stripes. I stood at the counter, mug in hand, staring at my phone screen. The headline hit first thing: “Federal Judge Harlan Found Dead in Home Study – Officials Investigating Possible Foul Play Despite Initial Natural Causes Ruling.”
• My heart slammed against my ribs. I read it again. Then the next line. “Sources close to the investigation note inconsistencies in the scene. Toxicology pending. No immediate suspects named.”