PART 2

Neither officer stepped inside immediately.

They didn’t have to.

The evidence was already visible from the front porch.

My hair.

Scattered across the hardwood floor.

The older officer introduced himself as Detective Lewis. His partner, Officer Grant, stayed near the doorway, quietly observing everyone in the room.

“Ma’am,” Lewis said gently, “did someone assault you?”

Before I could answer, Ruth laughed.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic. It’s only hair.”

Lewis didn’t even look at her.

He kept his eyes on me.

“Mrs. Carter?”

I swallowed.

“Yes.”

The word came out almost as a whisper.

“I went to sleep with my hair intact.”

I paused.

“I woke up like this.”

Tom suddenly stepped forward.

“I was asleep too. I didn’t hear anything.”

Lewis nodded without reacting.

“Who else had access to the house?”

“Just us,” Tom answered quickly.

“And your mother?” the detective asked.

Tom hesitated.

“She has a spare key.”

For the first time, Ruth’s smile disappeared.

Lewis wrote something in his notebook.

“Mrs. Carter, would you mind showing us the bedroom?”

Ten minutes later, every inch of the room was being photographed.

The detectives barely spoke.

They noticed things I never would have.

The bedroom window was still locked.

No signs of forced entry.

The scissors weren’t in the bathroom where they normally stayed.

Instead…

They were lying neatly on my nightstand.

As if someone wanted them to be found.

Officer Grant slipped on gloves before picking them up.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Lewis looked at Tom.

“When was the last time anyone used these?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Ruth answered before he could.

“They’re mine.”

Everyone turned toward her.

“I brought them yesterday.”

Tom blinked.

“What?”

“I was trimming flowers.”

Lewis raised an eyebrow.

“In the bedroom?”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she crossed her arms again.

The detective exchanged a quick glance with his partner.

Something wasn’t adding up.

While they continued examining the room, my phone vibrated.

Human Resources.

I almost ignored it.

Then I answered.

“Sara?” my supervisor said.

“Congratulations again.”

“Thank you.”

There was a short pause.

“We have a small problem.”

My stomach tightened.

“What kind of problem?”

“Someone emailed several news outlets this morning.”

My heart skipped.

“What?”

“They claimed your promotion was obtained through favoritism… and attached anonymous documents.”

Everything around me seemed to slow down.

“What documents?”

“We’re trying to verify them.”

Another pause.

“But until we do…”

He took a deep breath.

“…the Department has placed your appointment under temporary administrative review.”

I couldn’t breathe.

Less than three hours after becoming a federal judge…

Someone was already trying to destroy my career.

I lowered the phone.

Lewis noticed my expression.

“What happened?”

I looked around the room.

At my husband.

At Ruth.

At the scissors.

Then back at the detective.

“My hair wasn’t the real target.”

Everyone stared at me.

I spoke slowly.

“They wanted me distracted…”

“…because someone is trying to take away the job I waited fifteen years to earn.”

At that exact moment…

Officer Grant called from the bedroom.

“Detective…”

Lewis walked over.

“What is it?”

Grant held up a tiny black object he had found wedged behind the headboard.

A wireless security camera.

Already recording.

Someone hadn’t just cut my hair.

Someone had planned to watch it happen.

To Be Continued…