Abel
Grady Hell laid the files on my desk with the precision of someone who understood the value of organized information. The private investigator Camden had hired was thorough - within days, he'd compiled a comprehensive dossier on Millicent Adams's life.
"Start with the financials," I instructed, settling back in my chair.
Grady opened the first folder. "She lived in poverty, Your Majesty. Multiple jobs since she was fifteen. Barista, bookstore clerk, warehouse work. Every penny accounted for - rent, utilities, food. No luxuries, no savings."
I scanned the bank statements he provided. The numbers told a stark story. Deposits that barely covered basic survival. Payments that went out the moment they came in. A life balanced on a knife's edge.
"There's an interesting pattern here," G
