Outside the hearing room, in the corridor, the four of us — me, Damien, Marcus, Priya — stood for a moment in the specific quiet of people who had just watched something conclude.
Then Marcus said: "Crystal Song."
"Crystal Song," I confirmed.
"She had the documentation ready," he said.
"She had it ready before the east pier," I said. "She told me she'd been keeping it for two years." I paused. "She was waiting until she stopped being a coward. Monday at eleven AM was when she stopped."
Marcus looked at the ceiling briefly. "Respect," he said. "Not forgiveness, but respect."
"That's about right," I said.
Priya was already on her phone. "I need to call Simone," she said, moving down the corridor. "This needs a follow-up piece — the hearing, Crystal's testimony, the dismissal. Today if
