Twenty-four days.
Claire had communicated with me from the legitimate firm.
Three days later, according to Aaron Bell, she resigned.
Then a nearly identical email domain began contacting me.
A fake portal received my records.
Someone had known exactly how Halden communicated.
Exactly what my investigation involved.
Exactly which case manager I trusted.
This was not a random phishing scam.
“Call Ruiz,” I said.
Liam was already doing it.
Detective Ruiz returned less than twenty minutes later.
This time, she brought another officer with her—a quiet man named Patel who carried an evidence bag.
Liam gave them the drive.
Ruiz listened while I explained the domains.
She asked me to repeat the timeline twice.
She did not look amazed.
That reassured me.
People who worked with facts rarely had time for dramatic reactions.
“Could your husband have known which firm you hired?” she asked.
“I never told him.”
“Could he have seen an invoice?”
