Page 67 of Desert Loyalties

“Mr. Donahue was last seen roughly one month ago. On the very day he vanished, he sent a video message to law enforcement, a declaration addressed to his family and authorities. In it, Mr. Donahue warned that if he was not heard from in the following days, his death should be presumed and investigated.”

Cheng walks back to his table, flicking through a folder, then looks up.

“In this video, Mr. Donahue implicates Drake Lloyd as responsible for his disappearance and warns of ongoing threats. We have since been unable to locate Mr. Donahue. No physical evidence has been recovered yet, but we believe that Mr. Lloyd’sinvolvement is supported by credible witness statements and other circumstantial evidence.”

He pauses, scanning the courtroom.

“The defendant is charged with murder, conspiracy, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice, stemming from the events surrounding Mr. Donahue’s disappearance and the subsequent investigation.”

Henry’s eyes briefly meet mine, cool and unyielding.

“Today’s hearing will determine if there is sufficient probable cause to proceed to trial based on the evidence we will present. I believe there is enough evidence, which will be supported by my witness. At this time, the prosecution calls Special Agent Munez to the stand.”

The courtroom door to the side opens, and a tall man in a neat suit steps inside. He nods briefly to the bailiff stationed nearby before making his way to the witness stand. The room hushes as he settles onto the chair, hands folded in front of him.

The bailiff steps forward, holding a small black book.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” the bailiff asks, voice steady.

The man raises his right hand without hesitation. “I do.”

“Please state your full name for the record.”

“Special Agent Miguel Munez, Drug Enforcement Administration.”

The prosecutor turns to Munez. “How did you come to know the victim?”

Christina’s hand twitches. She glances at the judge, then stands quickly. “Objection, Your Honor. The prosecution has not established that Mr. Donahue, known as Locke, is deceased. Asking how SA Munez ‘met the victim’ presumes a fact not in evidence.”

The judge nods thoughtfully, fingers steepled. “Sustained. Counsel, please rephrase your question.”

I let out a quiet breath. Christina’s sharp. She’s on top of this.

The prosecutor smirks and asks, “Agent Munez, how did you come to know Mr. Donahue?”

Munez clears his throat. “He contacted our department two months before his disappearance, on May 3.”

Cheng leans forward, “And how was his demeanour?”

“He was scared, jittery. He said someone at his club was dealing drugs and he wanted to help us catch them.”

Cheng raises an eyebrow. “And you believed him?”

“They call each other brothers,” Munez says. “One wouldn’t turn against the whole club for nothing. Plus, he gave us leads that led to several arrests.” Christina scribbles something on her notepad.

Cheng flips through his notes. “What happened the day before Mr. Donahue disappeared. On July 9?”

“We led a raid on the clubhouse based on his intel,” Munez answers.

“Did you find any drugs?”

“No.”

“And which members were missing during the raid?”

Munez hesitates. “There were several. Mr. Lloyd was one of them.”

The judge’s eyes flick to me.