Ashlyn was only too happy to accept Maggie's invitation with Dominic. The ME had found it difficult to hide her impatience on the phone. The redhead had countered that they've been treading water for too long, and she was actually right on the money. Ashlyn was aware that she had concerns about the mandate from the outset, making her wonder whether she was the right person for the job. That's why Ashlyn had a good feeling at that moment that the meeting would not only be able to help with the case itself. It would also help her to realign her moral compass. And that seemed imperative to her. While she often acted impulsively and emotionally and always had her sights set on victory, or what she thought of as victory, in a court case, Maggie weighed up each of her actions regarding their integrity. Ashlyn had come to appreciate this difference during the trial against Nicolas Brandt. It was primarily thanks to Maggie's perspective that Ashlyn ultimately chose the right path rather than the opportune one.

They could also use Maggie's objective opinion in the Garner case. After all, they had some difficult decisions to make. And because she wanted to make sure that they would share all the information and explore all the angles, it was only to her advantage that Dominic joined the meeting with Maggie and her. Ashlyn had picked up her buddy on the way to Maggie's house. About twenty minutes later, they were parked in the street right in front of the BPD. Ashlyn walked through the building's corridors and knocked on Maggie's office door shortly after their meeting.

"Come in and have a seat," the redhead greeted them, pointing to the plain meeting table with a weak smile. "I still have a few things to finish here, and I'll be with you in a moment."

"No problem, I'd love to," replied Ashlyn. A glance at her smartwatch showed her she was a few minutes early anyway. They hadn't scheduled the meeting until 9:30 a.m.

The two sat down, and Dominic, who was in Maggie's office for the first time, looked at the various awards and pictures on the walls. There were pictures of Maggie examining victims of the tsunami disaster, and she was also pictured at work during various other foreign assignments.

Ashlyn had just drifted off to think about Garner and wondered how he was doing when Maggie sat beside her.

"Let's get started then," the ME began. "What's the latest news that could finally help us move forward?"

"I think we've identified a party involved, possibly even one of the perpetrators of the current situation," Dominic began. "And honestly, I would be very interested in paying him a visit immediately."

Ashlyn looked at her friend and had no doubt about how this visit would go. Dominic's eyes reflected anger, yes, even hatred. Ashlyn knew and appreciated him for his open and sometimes very emotional nature. However, this was characterized mainly by cheerfulness and often high spirits. Rarely, though, had she seen him so enraged.

"You'll have to explain that to me," Maggie replied matter-of-factly.

"Dominic is trying to say that Marcus Cantu seems to be involved in this."

"Cantu? Marcus Cantu? The front-runner for the office of mayor?"

Ashlyn nodded slowly.

"And what exactly?"

"First of all --," Dominic interrupted again, '... apparently years ago, as a senior employee of the youth welfare office, he sent the children into the clutches of these perverted pigs, and afterward, he seemed to want to eliminate all traces that threatened to bring his actions in the past to light.' Dominic shook his head. "No wonder, now that he is on the verge of becoming our next mayor."

Ashlyn, who hadn't failed to notice the questioning expression on Maggie's face, summarized the information she had received from Micaela Barboza about Cantus' darknet activities in a few sentences.

"And how incriminating is the accuracy of this inquiry?"

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd say at least eight to nine," the lawyer stated.

"Okay, let's take that as a working hypothesis for now," Maggie continued. "Then there are two main issues to be separated here. Cantu's role in the Granther experiment was that of a responsible employee of the youth welfare office, a role that he apparently managed to conceal by removing information in the criminal proceedings at the time. And his possible involvement in the death of Booker."

"The shit obviously goes together," Dominic complained. "I can't believe it. I don't know what I find worse! Cantu, who sent the children to hell, or these pedophile monsters who assault the children."

Maggie raised her hand and cut Dominic off unusually clearly for her. "I ask you to moderate your emotions and your expression. First of all, this doesn't get us anywhere, and secondly, your judgment, at least of pedophile men, is very subjective."

"You don't want to take these, these --" Dominic began, obviously trying to find less offensive words, "... these rapists under your protection? I thought you were involved in the Child Protection League!"

Ashlyn cleared her throat and pressed her lips together.

Maggie shook her head slowly. "That's not what I said or meant. I'm not trying to downplay crimes or excuse criminals. On the contrary, I chose my profession precisely to help solve crimes. But objectivity and neutrality are paramount in this job as a medical examiner." She looked Dominic in the eye. "And you're absolutely right. I'm involved in the Child Protection League. This means we want to help victims, that is, children and young people who have experienced something terrible. At the same time, however, we also work to prevent crimes against children from happening in the first place. And to prevent repeat offenses. Abuse takes many forms and comes in many guises. Whether purely physical, for example through beatings, or psychological, be it through oppression or humiliation, or sexual, through rape or other abhorrent acts."

Ashlyn was amazed. It was astounding how quickly her mother managed to take the wind out of Dominic's sails, who was now listening very carefully.

"We speak of pedophilic acts whenever adults are sexually attracted to prepubescent children. If this urge is permanent, according to current scientific knowledge, it is a mental disorder that is also classified as such by the WHO."

"But that doesn't help the children!" Dominic countered with a furrowed brow.

"You're absolutely right. But we won't be able to help the children who haven't been raped yet if we only act after the rape has occurred. That's why we have to see how we can prevent it."

"Okay, okay," Dominic agreed. "You're right. But what does that have to do with our case?"

"It's simple," Maggie shot back. "The whole thing about the unfortunate Granther experiment has been kept under wraps for far too long. So, for me, there are two things at stake here. I want to ask you to do everything you can with me to solve the death of Justin Booker. And I will work just as hard as you two to finally hold Granther and those responsible to account. And to prevent further acts." Maggie paused briefly. 'And to be successful with the second point, we need a discussion in which we assess the causes. And act. But we certainly don't call for a lynch mob. That won't help the children.' Maggie took a sip of water and concluded, "And please don't forget one thing, Dominic. We often have to deal with former victims as perpetrators."

Ashlyn watched Dominic sit up straighter in his chair at her mother's last words. It was apparent they had succeeded in having the desired effect. He seemed to deliberate momentarily before looking Maggie directly in the eye. 'Then we're on the same page,' he said, nodding at the ME.

"Good," Maggie replied, nodding. "I'm glad we've got that settled. Nonetheless, I'd like to discuss how we proceed from here. If Cantu hired a killer via the Darknet to take out Booker, Garner would still be in acute danger because it doesn't make sense to eliminate one but not the other. I suggest that we inform Holland about the situation as soon as possible so that he can also reevaluate the situation."

Ashlyn nodded while Maggie reached for her cell phone. 'Hello Carlo, it's me, Maggie. Listen, there's something you need to know --' she began the conversation.

While Maggie brought her acquaintance up to date, Dominic turned to Ashlyn. Even though it was difficult for him to admit, he was very impressed by Maggie's differentiated view on the delicate subject of abuse. He had not thought enough about the fact that it was not only about holding perpetrators accountable but also about preventing future assaults to curb abuse.

When Maggie had hung up, she looked at Ashlyn. "Holland wasn't too worried, which doesn't surprise me. We chose him because he has the appropriate training. He sends his warmest regards and says not to worry. He has the situation under control."

Ashlyn nodded. Nevertheless, she decided to talk to Garner again to see if he would like to be placed under police protection. She was sure that Garner would reject the proposal as before. And she couldn't blame him after everything that had happened to him at the hands of the authorities. But it was important to her to try to increase Garner's security. Otherwise, she would never forgive herself if something happened to Garner and Holland. As for the former elite soldier, Ashlyn didn't know him nearly as well as her mother and couldn't fully assess her client's safety. But she trusted her mother completely.

"Let's turn to the second part of our question," Maggie said, looking back and forth between Ashlyn and Dominic. 'What are we going to do about Cantu? If I understand you correctly, Micaela Barboza is already active, isn't she?' she asked.

"Well, in a way, yes," Ashlyn admitted. "Micaela has picked up on the trail that leads to Cantu being the former person in charge of the Granther matter. However, she doesn't yet know about our Darknet research, which also puts Cantu at the top of our list of murder suspects."

Dominic looked up: "I think she needs to know. We should tell her. And to be honest, I don't have any concerns about that." Turning to Ashlyn, he continued: "Why don't we just give her all the information we have that doesn't violate attorney-client confidentiality? I could provide them with the collected protocols that the investigators can use to retrace the steps on the Darknet. Then it's up to Micaela to decide whether and how she handles it."

"And if the information is wrong? I mean, just hypothetically speaking," Ashlyn interjected with a slight frown. "Then we would have destroyed another existence with Cantu."

"Well --" Maggie replied. 'It's not quite like that. Just because the DA's office has the information doesn't mean they'll execute Cantu. However, Cantu is the senator of internal affairs, giving him access to the investigation results as soon as she informs Micaela, right?'

Ashlyn took a deep breath and shook her head. "Not really. He is the Senator for the Interior and, therefore, head of the police. But the DA's Office reports to the Senator of Justice. And the DA's Office is undoubtedly taking great care to ensure that the information remains confidential in this investigation. Cantu should not receive it. However, whether that works in reality or whether there is an informer after all," she added thoughtfully, "I can't say. A tricky situation."

Maggie thought for a moment. " Ultimately, however, it seems to be the best solution. Even though I'm not a fan of you illegally getting the records through a hacker, you must fully inform the DA's office."

xxx

The interview with Tim Garner, including a large portrait photo, appeared under the headline I thought everything would be fine now.

After the first copies of the Sunday edition were delivered to gas stations and newsstands on Saturday evening, the first comments appeared on social media.

But it wasn't until Sunday morning when Boston woke up, and the story spread, that the storm of outrage broke. This was due in no small part to the radio stations and the online editions of the other Boston newspapers, which all jumped on the story of the young Boston boy from a complex background.

Sitting with Dominic on the terrace of her attic apartment, Ashlyn read through the interview again. She respected the gentle and equally clear way Payne asked her questions. This is how she had managed to bring a terrible and hitherto much-ignored chapter of Boston history to light. One interview passage generated the most comments and posts on social media.

Boston Observer: How did you feel when entering your foster father's apartment?

Tim Garner: Liberated. Happy. At home.

Boston Observer: What exactly triggered this feeling in you?

Tim Garner: On the one hand, there was this friendly social worker from the youth welfare office. She was full of joy and confidence and was there with me initially. My foster father and I went into my room. It still smelled like fresh paint, and many toys were on the big shelf. There was a closet with lots of new clothes in my size. It was all for me. I felt like I was in a dreamland. It was all too good to be true.

Boston Observer: And what happened then?

Tim Garner: My foster father initially seemed very nice to me, too. And I had a foster brother, Justin. He was a few years older than me. He seemed unusually quiet to me—I still remember that well—he hardly spoke. My foster father explained that Justin was timid and needed to get to know me first.

Boston Observer: When did you realize that not everything was as good as it initially seemed?

Tim Garner: That must have been about two months later. Or even longer. I can't remember exactly; I was just too young. It was one evening when our foster father came home later than usual. He was drunk, but I didn't realize that at the time. Justin and I were sitting in the living room watching TV. He then sent me to my room and said I shouldn't come out until the next day. I was shocked, but I just did it. I was only six years old, and it didn't occur to me to question it. Later, when I had to go to the bathroom at night, I heard a whimpering sound coming from Justin's room. I went in to see what was wrong, but he pulled the covers over his head when he saw me.

Boston Observer: Did you find out later why your foster brother didn't want to talk to you?

Tim Garner: Yes, I did. He was ashamed. Just like me for years. And it took me less than a week after that incident to realize why he was hiding. Our foster father came home drunk again, and this time, he sent us both to our rooms. Justin and me. I could still hear him making himself something to eat in the kitchen because he kept dropping things and swearing. But then I fell asleep. I don't know what time it was. I had dreamt something, a nightmare, and then I woke up. When I opened my eyes, I was glad it was a dream. Besides, our foster father was there. He stroked my hair and told me it was just a bad dream. But everything was fine now. Because he was there. I was totally relieved. I was also grateful that he was with me. I thought everything would be fine now, and I could go back to sleep peacefully. But then he lay down with me.

At this point, Ashlyn stopped reading, although what happened next was not explicitly described. Ashlyn knew from Payne that neither she nor the Boston Observer had any interest in it. It also went against the Code of the Press Council, according to which journalists refrained from reporting on inappropriately sensational depictions of violence, brutality, and suffering in a manner that went beyond the public interest and the readers' interest in being informed.

She only re-joined the story later, when Garner reported on how he first tried to get at least a little justice, alone at first and then later together with Booker.

Boston Observer: When did you reach the point where you decided to bring your terrible story to light?

Tim Garner: It wasn't so much about the public for us because Justin and I had decided this together. In the first step, we just wanted justice. That was so many years ago. I was in my early twenties, and Justin was a few years older than me. It was only at that point that we really understood that we were victims. As children, we didn't realize that at all, and then there was a long process of repression.

Boston Observer: Who did you turn to back then, and what happened?"

Tim Garner: Child Protective Services, which had placed our foster father back then. But they didn't believe us. Or didn't want to believe us. They didn't want to hear about it. Supposedly, no records could be found, and Granther, who had worked for the Senate for years, had since passed away. When we wanted to file a lawsuit for compensation, we were told it would have no chance of success since everything had been statute-barred for a long time.

Ashlyn could hardly contain the rage that was rising in her. Because, in fact, civil claims for damages could become time-barred. However, this only came into play if the defendant, in this case, the responsible Senate administration, asserted this objection to the statute of limitations. The injustice that had been done was apparent. To invoke a statute of limitations in full knowledge of the facts was indecent and almost unbearable for Ashlyn. But, she thought, they won't get away with that. Not with that and certainly not with much more.

She folded the paper and pushed it aside.

"It's unbelievable," she heard Dominic say, staring at his iPhone on the other side of the table. 'There are already a thousand comments under the article, and more are being added every second.'

Ashlyn was not surprised. The classic phenomenon of the individual case struck again. In the past few years, the Granther experiment had been reported on repeatedly without the topic attracting much attention. The mass of sexually abused children and adolescents was anonymous and, therefore, difficult to grasp. But as soon as a story was given a face and a name, it became personal. It offered the opportunity to connect it with emotions and feelings. You couldn't escape it anymore; it was hard to suppress. And that's precisely what happened with the interview. Tim Garner now stood in for all victims, the face it took to get the ball rolling. The fact that the ball was rolling was evident from the reactions in the public media.

"That's exactly what I needed," Dominic continued. "I have an appointment with a social worker from the youth welfare office tomorrow. After today's stunt, they'll think twice about denying me help."

Ashlyn had to agree with her buddy. The interview could actually mark a turning point in the story. From now on, everything would be revealed piece by piece. There was no stopping it.

xxx

Marcus Cantu wouldn't have gotten where he was today if he had let a little headwind blow him over. Quite the opposite. In the past twenty years, he had weathered more storms than most people in their entire lives. And even now, he knew exactly what he had to do. After the interview in the Boston Observer, he estimated that it would take less than five days for someone to make the connection between his former job and Tim Garner. Knowing this would have driven nine out of ten people to despair. Not Cantu, though. These were the moments when he was at his absolute best. He had learned early on that hiding was not the answer. The best defense was a good offense. And a distraction. That's how magic tricks worked in politics, too.

He was aware that as a senior member of the department, he was responsible for the placement of the pedophile foster parents and that he bore the ultimate responsibility for the fate of countless children. And even if he hadn't suspected at the time that history would one day take such an absurd turn, he couldn't use that as an excuse, of course. The whole thing had happened under his leadership, so it was solely his responsibility.

Unless he had acted on behalf of, so to speak, on official orders. If he could still present it so that he opposed Granther and his experiment but, in the end, had to carry out the instructions under pressure, he might have emerged victorious from this unfortunate story. And that wouldn't be the first time. Even if he had been looking forward to a different final phase of the election campaign, dominated by public appearances and handshakes, he preferred the current situation. Now, it was up to him to again prove why he was one of the best, most sophisticated, and, as a result, most successful politicians in this city. And if he was candid with himself, he did so with a clear conscience. It would be naive to believe that there was only one truth. And it is always easy to judge a past situation in retrospect. Even if, from today's perspective, he would severely condemn his behavior at the time, it was simply a different time back then. He needed to gain experience and foresight. That is why it is not difficult for him today to admit extenuating circumstances for his behavior at the time.