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My parents seemed to settle in to listen.
“As I said, I raised it with him because I felt bad for Ted. He didn’t have the money and it just seemed strange. It didn’t even seem like John. But he didn’t take it seriously. He was always in a rush, always moving so fast, and he wouldn’t talk to me.” Gabby’s voice strengthened, and she sat taller. “Then, just out of curiosity, I looked at the files of two other clients that I had referred to him, whohadn’tcomplained to me. I went to his office when he wasn’t there, and I could see in both cases, the bills were padded. I tried to talk to him about it again, but he blew me off.” Gabby ran a tongue over dry lips. “I’m sorry I did what I did, but I had to, and it was the right thing to do. These are my friends, I referred them to this firm, and they trusted me. John was cheating them, and that’swrong. It shouldn’t even matter if they were friends because it’s just plainwrong. Justice is blind, remember? Supposedly? Allegedly?”
I couldn’t begin to think about whether Gabby was right. I was trying to process the information. My father and mother sat in stunned silence. Martin reached for Gabby’s hand, his expression tender, his lips sealed.
“So that’s why I did it, that’s it. I didn’t want to and I’m sad that I had to. I feel horrible that John got arrested. But somebody had to do the hard thing, and if it had to be me, so be it.” Tears filmed Gabby’s eyes. “I knew you guys were going to be mad, but I matter, too, and I’m in the right. I’mnotthe one who sent John to prison. I’mnotthe one who ruined the firm.Heis.” Gabby finished speaking, as if awaiting judgment.
My father leaned forward, gritting his teeth. “Why didn’t you come to us?”
“Why? What would you have done? What you’ve always done? What I saw you do when you found out what he was up to?” Gabby threw up her hands. “You’d cover it up, that’s what you’d do. You pay people off and you hire lawyers and you think you make it better, but you just make itsmooth. You don’t make itright. Smooth isn’tright.” She blinked her eyes clear. “My whole life, I’ve watched you bail out TJ and now John. It’s not TJ’s or John’s pattern, it’s yours. The more you let it go, the higher the stakes. Now it cost us the firm. I mean, this has to end somewhere. You guys keep looking the other way. Where does it end?” Gabby turned to me, pointing. “TJ, that’s why I give you so much credit.”
“Me?” I asked, astonished.
“Yes, you took responsibility for what you did. When you pleaded guilty, youaccounted. You weren’t trying to get away from the consequences. Mom and Dad hired Angela for you, and they all wanted you to fight the charge. You’re the one who said no. You’re the one who wanted to plead guilty, and I watched you in that courtroom. Icould see you felt terrible. You thought it was your worst day, but I thought it was your best.”
Whoa. I’d never thought of it that way. I couldn’t speak for a moment.
Gabby heaved a sigh, facing my parents. “So I tipped off the FBI. They told me not to tell anybody and I didn’t, not even Martin. Sorry, babe.” She glanced at him, then faced us again. “I didn’t know what they were doing or about the undercover operation. I assume they’ve been investigating since then, and they must have been ready to go because yesterday, when you guys figured out John was padding the Runstan bills, I called them. I told them I found more evidence.”
“What?”my father asked, shocked. “Isthatwhy they raided us today?”
“Yes, Dad, and I had to do it. That’s why I didn’t say anything when you were going through John’s bills. I knew it was in the government’s hands and I couldn’t interfere. I didn’t know if I could stop you, but I knew that they could. I was left with no choice. It was either my brother goes down or my whole family goes down—forhisactions.” Gabby frowned. “Dad, if you guys did what you intended—paying off the clients, lying to them that it was an accounting error, covering the whole thing up—thenyou’dbe guilty of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy, all the things they’re charging John with. You would have put yourself in worse legal jeopardy. You would have made yourselves criminally liable, not just civilly.Youwould have been the fraudsters, Mom and Dad. If TJ helped you, he would be, too.You’d all be behind bars.”
I felt stunned, realizing she was right. I loved my sister and I’d never admired her more. “Gabby, you saved us from ourselves.”
My father blinked, dumbfounded.
My mother looked down, beginning to cry.
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Gabby bit her lower lip, trying not to cry, too. “I hope later you’ll realize I did the right thing. But for now, I’m going home. I have work to do.” She rose and looked at me. “TJ, the press conference in the Holmesburg case is tomorrow at eleven o’clock, at Hessian Post Plaza. I got the Complaint and a press packet copied, but they aren’t collated. It’s busywork, but can you do it? They’re in boxes, and you can do it at home. I have to prepare Tony Bales to give a statement. I got the community involved, and there’s going to be a lot of media.”
“Of course I’ll help,” I said, rising.
I was ready to go home, too.
Right after I picked up Mango.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Traffic was light since rush hour hadn’t started yet, and I felt nervous and exposed outside. I scanned the passing cars and checked my rearview mirror, but I didn’t think anybody was following me. I hated not knowing who or where Fake Elliott Thompson was. The guy was somehow connected with John, Stan, and Runstan, which meant he was also connected to me. I felt like a moving target, so I kept moving.
I thought of my parents in the conference room, trying to come to terms with what Gabby had said. Devlin & Devlin was in shambles, and I’d taken the boxes of her documents and packed them in my trunk, trying to hold my head high in the parking lot. Employees had stood around gawking, taking photos and videos. The FBI had been finishing up, their agents stowing boxes in their Tahoes.
I’d picked up Mango and drove home through my neighborhood with her in the cardboard carrier the vet had given me. She was healthy again, meowing at the top of her lungs, but I didn’t mind. The vet bill had been a small fortune, but I would have paid more, gratefully. I had my furbaby back.
I turned down my street, my senses on high alert. I scanned forsuspicious cars but didn’t see any, and the street was quiet. I cruised ahead and pulled into my driveway, satisfied I hadn’t been followed.
I cut the ignition and got out of the car with the cat carrier, relieved that my neighbor Susanne’s car wasn’t in the driveway. The last time I’d seen her, the Chester County detectives had been looking for me, and I didn’t want to have to explain anything. I dreaded to think what she was reading about the FBI raid at Devlin & Devlin. The Devlins had gone from legal royalty to crime family.
I unlocked the front door, carried Mango inside the house, and opened her cat carrier on the couch. She popped out like a jack-in-the-box and scooted under the couch, but stopped meowing.
“Be right back,” I told her, then went out to fetch Gabby’s boxes.
I made quick work of bringing them in and setting them on the floor. There were fourteen boxes, and I knelt and took the lid off the first one. My genius sister had packed me a big stapler, which rested on top of the papers.
You thought it was your worst day, but I thought it was your best.
I felt a rush of gratitude for Gabby and got busy on my busywork. I took the first Complaint out of the box and looked it over.complaint, it read at the top, and on the left:gabriella devlin, esquire, devlin & devlin, attorney for plaintiffs, with her attorney identification number, our office address, and phone number.
