Page 70 of Dead Air
"Don't know specifics. I'm locked out of the investigation completely." Background noise suggested Parks was moving while speaking. "But they'll find whatever they need to make the charges stick."
"I need to turn myself in." Lawson spoke the words without fully believing them. "Fight this through proper channels."
"Absolutely not." Parks' response came sharp and immediate. "Wallace has compromised the entire chain ofevidence. You'll be in custody before your attorney can file the first motion."
Claire nodded agreement. "He's right. They're moving too quickly, too publicly. This isn't about proper investigation."
"It's about controlling the narrative." Fiona's journalist assessment aligned with their concerns. "Making you the scapegoat before Blackwell's actual abductors can be identified."
"Go somewhere they won't look." Parks' voice lowered further. "I'll work from inside as long as I can. Find out what really happened to Blackwell."
The call ended abruptly. The three women stared at each other across the suddenly silent living room. The television continued displaying Lawson's department photograph beside footage of the parking garage crime scene, visual storytelling designed to establish guilt in public perception.
"They'll check here first." Claire moved toward her laptop with decisive purpose. "My ownership of this property isn't difficult to trace given our professional connection."
"We need somewhere they won't immediately search." Fiona began gathering their research materials, efficiently organizing papers into manageable stacks.
Lawson looked down at the property deed still resting on the table. Richardson's cabin address stared back at her, an option both dangerous and logical.
"I'm going to this cabin." She tapped the document decisively. "Amy said he'd be there fishing. I need to confront him directly."
"With an arrest warrant out for you?" Claire's expression reflected immediate concern. "That's either incredibly brave or completely reckless."
"Maybe both." Lawson gathered the personnel file into its folder. "But I'm done playing this game through intermediariesand evidence trails. Richardson has answers about Monica's death, and I'm going to get them face to face."
"You realize you'll likely be arrested in the process," Fiona said, journalist's analytical detachment giving way to genuine concern.
"If that happens, it happens." Lawson's decision had formed with crystalline clarity. "Five years is long enough. I need to look Richardson in the eyes and hear the truth from him directly."
"At least let us come with you." Claire's objection came automatically. "Legally and strategically, you shouldn't go alone."
"I need you working official channels." Lawson countered with equal conviction. "Filing motions challenging the warrant. Questioning evidence handling procedures. Maintaining legal pressure on Wallace's operation."
"And I need to keep publishing." Fiona added her strategic assessment. "Each article forces them to respond publicly, potentially creating contradictions we can exploit."
The television switched to helicopter footage of police vehicles surrounding Lawson's apartment building and SWAT team members positioned at entrances.
"They're creating a spectacle to reinforce guilt narrative." Fiona's media literacy provided immediate context. "Knowing you're not there but generating footage that suggests imminent capture."
"Which means you have limited time before they expand the search perimeter." Claire moved toward her bedroom. "I'll prepare some supplies while you map the route to Richardson's cabin."
Lawson studied the property maps showing Richardson's cabin location. Remote enough for privacy. Accessible enough for practical occupation. Perfect balance for someonemaintaining a separate operational base away from his primary residence.
Her official law enforcement career might be over with Wallace's public statement. No administrative hearing would easily reverse a warrant issued with such public certainty. But that didn't change her fundamental purpose—finding the truth about Monica's death, regardless of personal consequences.
"If I get arrested trying to confront Richardson, so be it." Lawson folded the map decisively. "But I'm done chasing shadows and evidence fragments. It's time for direct confrontation."
Claire returned with a small bag. "At least take these essentials. And promise you'll call before doing anything rash."
"Define rash." A hint of Lawson's dry humor surfaced despite the circumstances.
"Charging into a potentially dangerous situation without backup or legal protection." Claire's concern was palpable. "Richardson's psychological profile suggests someone capable of extreme actions when cornered."
"I've spent my career handling dangerous suspects." Lawson accepted the bag with genuine appreciation for Claire's concern. "One retired police captain doesn't scare me."
"It should." Claire tapped the psychiatric evaluation. "Especially one with a messiah complex and the connections to act on it."
The television continued displaying Lawson's department photograph beside footage of the parking garage crime scene, visual storytelling designed to establish guilt in public perception.
