New Evidence

New Evidence
Detective Chen's POV

Sarah Chen's phone was ringing when she kicked down Rebecca Martinez's apartment door. She ignored the call and stepped over the broken wood, her gun drawn.
"This is Detective Chen," she called out. "NYPD!"
No answer. The apartment was empty, just like it had been for three days since Rebecca's death. But Sarah wasn't here for the killer this time.
She was here because of the phone call.
Twenty minutes ago, an unknown number had called her cell phone. A scared woman's voice had whispered: "Rebecca Martinez hid something in her flat. Something the FBI doesn't know about. Find the diary before they do."
Then the line went dead.
Sarah moved quickly through the small room. The FBI had already searched this place twice, but they might have missed something. They were looking for proof about Vincent Torrino. Sarah was looking for the truth.
She started in Rebecca's bedroom, pulling out drawers and checking behind picture frames. Nothing. The living room was the same - nothing but dust and police tape.
Sarah's phone rang again. Same mystery number.
"Detective Chen," she answered.
"Did you find it yet?" The woman's voice was different now. Older. More desperate.
"Who is this?" Sarah demanded.
"Someone who loved Rebecca. Someone who wants her killer to pay."
"Where's the diary?"
"Check the kitchen. Behind the refrigerator. There's a loose board in the wall."
The line went dead again.
Sarah ran to the kitchen and pulled the refrigerator away from the wall. Sure enough, one of the wooden boards was slightly loose. She pried it open with her keys.
Inside was a small black notebook.
Sarah's hands shook as she opened it. The first page made her blood run cold: "My name is Rebecca Martinez. If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. I've been working with the FBI to bring down Vincent Torrino, but I think someone in the FBI is working for him. I can't trust anyone except Emma."
Sarah flipped through the pages quickly. Rebecca's handwriting got more scared and shaky as the entries continued.
Day 15: Vincent thinks I'm watching him. He asked too many questions about my family today.
Day 23: Agent Thompson told me to get closer to Vincent's men. I think Thompson wants me to get killed.
Day 30: I found out why Emma is so important. She saw Vincent kill Judge Morrison five years ago. But she doesn't remember because of the stress.
Day 35: Marcus Webb isn't who he says he is. The FBI is using him too, but he doesn't know it.
Day 40: I tried to call Emma today to tell her, but someone is watching her apartment. I think it's too late.
Sarah turned to the last entry. It was marked three days ago - the day Rebecca died.
Final Entry: They're coming for me tonight. I can hear them in the hallway. Emma, if you're reading this, you're in terrible danger. Vincent doesn't just want to kill you. He wants to use you to destroy the FBI from the inside. There's a mole in the Bureau, someone high up who's been helping Vincent for years. Don't trust anyone. Find the truth about what you saw on the Brooklyn Bridge. Your memory is the key to everything.
P.S. - The person who killed Judge Morrison wasn't acting alone. There were two shooters that night. Emma saw both of them.
Sarah's heart stopped. Two shooters? The FBI file said Marcus Webb acted alone when he killed Judge Morrison.
Someone had lied about that night.
Sarah's phone rang for the third time.
"Detective Chen, you need to get out of there right now." The woman's voice was frightened now.
"Why? Who are you?"
"I'm watching the building. FBI agents just pulled up outside. If they find you with that book, they'll kill you."
Sarah looked out the window. Three black cars were parked on the street below. Men in suits were getting out and walking toward the building door.
"How did they know I was here?" Sarah whispered.
"Someone's been listening to your phone calls. Someone inside the police department is working for Vincent too."
Sarah felt sick. If the wrongdoing went into the NYPD, then nowhere was safe.
"What do I do?" she asked.
"There's a fire escape outside the bedroom window. Take the book and run. Meet me at Central Park, by the bridge where Emma saved Marcus. One hour."
"How do I know you're not working for Vincent too?"
"Because I'm Rebecca's mother. And I want my daughter's killer to pay."
Sarah grabbed the book and ran for the bedroom. She could hear heavy footsteps on the stairs outside. The FBI guys were coming up fast.
She climbed out onto the fire escape just as the flat door burst open behind her. Sarah pressed herself against the wall and held her breath.
"Search everything," a man's voice ordered. "Chen was here. Find out what she took."
Sarah recognized the voice. It was Agent Thompson, Marcus's FBI contact.
Thompson was the mole.
Sarah climbed down the fire escape as quietly as she could. When she reached the alley, she ran toward her car. But as she got closer, she saw two more FBI agents waiting by her police car.
They'd surrounded her.
Sarah turned and ran in the other way. She had to get the diary to safety. She had to find Emma before it was too late.
But as she ran through the dark streets, Sarah noticed something that made her blood freeze.
If Agent Thompson was working for Vincent, and Thompson was Marcus's handler, then Marcus might not know he was going into a trap tonight.
Emma had called Marcus to meet her at the old subway stop. But Vincent would be there too. And now Sarah knew that crooked FBI agents would be waiting as backup.
Marcus, Emma, and Vincent were all going into the same deadly trap.
Sarah pulled out her phone to call and warn them, then stopped. If someone was listening to her phone calls, calling would only make things worse.
She had to get to that subway stop herself.
But first, she had to figure out who she could trust.
Sarah looked at Rebecca's book one more time. The last page had something written in tiny letters at the bottom: "Sarah Chen is the only honest cop left. Trust her."
Rebecca had known this would happen. She'd known Sarah would find the book. She'd planned it all.
But there was one more line, so small Sarah almost missed it: "Emma isn't the only witness. Marcus saw Vincent's partner that night too. But Vincent's partner is someone no one would ever guess."
Sarah's phone buzzed with a text message from an unknown number: "Stop reading and start running. Vincent's partner just spotted you."
Sarah looked up and saw a familiar face across the street. Someone she'd worked with for years. Someone she'd trusted completely.
Her own police chief was walking toward her, his hand moving toward his gun.
The rot went even higher than she'd thought.
Sarah ran into the night, clutching Rebecca's book, knowing that everyone she'd ever trusted might be trying to kill her.