The sharp, authoritative knock on the steel door broke the silence in the small interrogation chamber.
"Come in," Agent Wilkerson said, pushing off the ceiling and sitting upright in his chair.
Inspector General Marcus Thorne entered, his face grim and his eyes fixed on the empty chair where Director Brown had sat. He carried a fresh, unmarked file folder under his arm.
"What's the status, Wilkerson?" Thorne asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
"It's too neat, Thorne. It's absolutely orchestrated," Wilkerson said, picking up the recorder. "Brown's testimony is a near-perfect echo of Warden Hayes's. Both claim innocence, both point directly at Congressman Vance, and both claim to have sent critical evidence to Federal Prosecutor L. Wilson."
Wilkerson slammed his hand down softly on the table. "It's like they're reading from the same script, or rather, it's like we're being guided. It's a goddamn setup."
