Hidden Truth Stories
The Fence Line

The Silent Partner

August 25, 2026 · Part 8 of 10 · 1 min

Two months later, the courthouse steps were cold with early autumn wind, and reporters filled the corridor outside Courtroom 3B. Ellie sat beside me in a clean blue dress, her red headband back in place, healthier now, though she still gripped her stuffed bear tight enough to leave marks on the fabric.

Our advocate, Ms. Alvarado, crouched in front of her with a gentle smile. "Because of what you saved, sweetheart, Derek will never hurt anyone again. You don't have to go in there today."

The financial records Ellie had hidden showed Derek had embezzled over three million dollars from Diane and dozens of unwitting investors. Combined with the prior case Novak had uncovered, the DA wasn't offering any deals.

When the doors swung open and marshals led Derek out in chains, his eyes found mine for just a second before I stepped in front of Ellie, blocking his view of her completely.

It should have felt like the end. It didn't, not quite.

Three days after sentencing, Ms. Alvarado called with something that made my stomach drop all over again. "Tom, I need you to hear this from me before you hear it anywhere else. There's a man named Wallace Pratt — Derek's business partner on the Chicago developments. He's been missing since the arrest. And this morning, someone tried to access the old house's utility records under his name."

"What would he want there," I asked, already knowing I wasn't going to like the answer.

"We think there's a second set of books," she said. "Buried, not digital. And we think he believes it's still on that property."

Continue the story Part 9: What Was Buried →

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