Page 9 of The Guilty Trial

Allie and Jason entered the historic structure. Inside, marble stretched in every direction. Their footsteps echoed as they walked down a massive hallway until they were directly underneath the rotunda, the sound magnified by vaulted ceilings two stories high. Light filtered down from the dome above and cast geometric shadows across the polished floors. Allie had been in this building half a dozen times, and it never failed to make her feel like she should be whispering.

They reached the elevator bank and rode up to the fourth floor, which was occupied by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The receptionist directed them to follow a young man who led them to a conference room where three people were waiting. Allie noted their drawn faces as they entered.

A woman with dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail stood up and extended her hand. “I’m Sarah Park, Assistant U.S. Attorney. Thank you for coming.”

“Agents King and Bishop,” Jason said.

Allie shook her hand in turn, noticing Park’s firm grip despite the visible strain on her face.

“This is Diane Miller,” Park continued, gesturing to an older woman with silver-streaked hair and red-rimmed eyes. “She’d been Thomas’s secretary since he started. Everyone calls her Dee-Dee.”

The secretary managed a small nod but didn’t speak.

“And Jim MacKenzie, one of our senior paralegals.” Park indicated a man who appeared to be in his forties. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and had draped his suit jacket over the chair behind him.

They all took seats around the polished table. The room smelled faintly of coffee and paper, reminding Allie of their own conference room.

“We appreciate you meeting with us,” Allie began. “We know this is difficult.”

Park nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Before we get started, Elias Thorne—our U.S. Attorney—is currently overseas. He wanted me to pass along that this office will assist your investigation in any way possible. Whatever you need.”

“We’ll take you up on that,” Jason said.

Allie studied the three faces across from her. Dee-Dee kept her eyes down, holding a tissue to her nose. MacKenzie sat rigidly with his hands folded on the table, and Park seemed to be holding herself together through sheer will.

“How long had each of you worked with AUSA Sterling?” Allie asked.

“Five years for me,” Park said.

“You must have been pretty young,” Jason noted. Allie agreed. The attorney didn’t look like she was too much older than she was.

Park nodded. “I was. Not quite fresh out of law school, but not too far off. I tried my hand at private practice, but decided I wanted to do something that mattered.” Her voice faltered slightly. “Thomas actually convinced me to apply here. He said prosecution was more fulfilling than defending white-collar criminals for billable hours.”

“And how about you, Dee-Dee?” Allie asked her gently, aware of how upset the woman seemed to be.

“Eight years,” she whispered, her voice catching. She pressed the tissue harder against her nose. “He was... he was a good man. Kind. Always remembered birthdays, asked about my grandkids.” Her voice broke on the last word, and she pressed her lips together and composed herself before continuing. “Sorry. I just can't believe he's gone.”

MacKenzie reached over and squeezed Dee-Dee’s hand before answering. “Seven,” he said, “although I’d known of him for years, of course. If you went up against him, you knew you better be prepared.”

Allie made a note and then addressed the three of them. “What can you tell us about him professionally? His work style, for example, and how he approached his cases?”

Park squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and looked at Allie directly. “Thomas was one of the best attorneys in this office. He was thorough and methodical. He didn’t cut corners, and he didn’t take cases lightly. His conviction rate was excellent, but that’s because he only moved forward when the evidence was solid.”

“He wouldn’t prosecute just to prosecute,” MacKenzie said. “If the case had holes, he’d tell you. He cared about getting it right, not just getting a win.”

“And what was his caseload like?” Jason asked. “What areas did he focus on?”

“Financial crimes, mostly,” Park said. “White-collar stuff. Fraud, embezzlement, public corruption. He had a background in accounting before law school, so he understood the numbers better than most of us. That made him invaluable for complex cases.”

MacKenzie nodded agreeably. “Thomas could look at a balance sheet and spot irregularities in minutes. I’ve seen defense attorneys try to bury him in financial documents, thinking they’d confuse him. Never worked.”

Dee-Dee spoke in a soft voice. “He worked late most nights. I’d leave at five, and he’d still be at his desk, going through files. Sometimes I’d come in the next morning and find him already here.”

“Did he seem stressed recently?” Allie asked. “Worried about anything?”

The three exchanged glances. Park shook her head. “Not that I noticed. Thomas was always focused, but he wasn’t anxious. He seemed... normal. We had lunch together last Tuesday, and he said he wanted to take his wife to the San Juans for their anniversary.” The reality of that comment hung in the air for a moment.

“Was he working on anything particularly sensitive recently? Any cases that might have drawn unwanted attention?”