The following morning Maya drove to the Gazette to speak with Henry Walsh about preserving unpublished notes and protecting people who had agreed to speak confidentially. The sky was washed clean after the rain, and the city looked almost gentle beneath weak sunlight. She parked near the newspaper office, checked the street, and stepped out with her notebook tucked inside her coat. A black SUV pulled up beside the curb before she reached the entrance.
The passenger window lowered. Captain Reed looked out at her with the genial expression he used when shaking hands at charity events. "Miss Turner," he said. "I was hoping we'd have a chance to speak."
Maya stopped several feet from the vehicle. "You can contact my sister's attorney. Anything relevant to her case should go through him."
"This isn't about her case," Reed said. "It's about a family that seems determined to turn every ordinary police action into a public scandal."
He stepped out, but Maya remained near the newspaper building where people could see them through the windows. Reed followed her gaze and adjusted his tone, keeping it conversational. He described his concern that Olivia's accusation would upset the community, hurt honest officers, and cause unnecessary stress for their family. The words might have sounded reasonable if Maya had not heard him speak just as reasonably while announcing her sister's arrest.
"My sister is in jail because your officers put drugs in her car," Maya said.
Reed smiled thinly. "You should be careful about publishing assertions you cannot substantiate. Your father was careless about that distinction."
The reference struck Maya harder than she expected. She kept her notebook closed, refusing to let him see how quickly anger came. "My father was a detective who asked questions," she said. "I believe Olivia is doing the same thing."
"Your father made choices," Reed replied. The warmth left his face. "So is your sister. The district attorney has offered a resolution that could spare her a much longer sentence. I'd hate to see good people make the same mistake twice."
Maya looked directly at him. "Are you here to threaten my sister if I keep asking questions?"
"I'm here to tell you that choices have consequences." He lowered his voice. "You've been spending time outside town. Meeting with people you don't know nearly as well as you think you do. It would be unfortunate if those people convinced you to make things worse."
For a moment, she could hear the hum of traffic but nothing else. Reed knew about the cabin, which meant someone had followed her or someone had discussed the meetings. The realization was frightening, but it also clarified that their work had attracted attention. Maya wished she could ask Olivia what to say; instead, she gave the answer a reporter could defend later.
"If you have information relevant to my sister's case, give it to her attorney," she said. "Otherwise I have nothing to discuss."
Reed studied her for a long moment, then stepped back toward the SUV. "Think about her future, Maya. Pride is expensive."