Chapter 7 - One Person Finally Listened
The next morning, Maribel visited a neighborhood legal-aid center.
There she met Parker Wren, a twenty-six-year-old legal intern finishing his final months before joining a small civil practice.
He listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he leaned back in his chair.
“Let me make sure I understand. No jewelry was found in your possession, no one saw you take it, and the accusation is mostly based on the fact that you were in the room?”
“Yes.”
“Then this is not nearly as hopeless as you think.”
Maribel gave a tired laugh.
“Their lawyer has probably billed more this week than I make in a year.”
Parker smiled.
“Expensive lawyers still need facts.”
Together, they built a timeline.
They reviewed the lunch guests, the staff schedules, photographs taken inside the home that afternoon, and messages Maribel had saved over the years.
Several former employees agreed to describe her reliability.
A previous employer wrote a statement explaining that Maribel had once found nearly twelve thousand dollars in cash inside an old cabinet and had returned every dollar.
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But there was still one question Parker could not answer.
What had happened to the brooch?
