Page 126 of Velvet Chains

Her grip was warm, firm, forgettable—perfect. “Of course,” I said.

“Mr. Ivanov.” She nodded at Alek with polite recognition. “It’s been a while.”

“Too long, Ms. Darnell. I would like to say it’s good to see you, but the circumstances might prevent me from that,” Alek said, voice like glass. “Hopefully this is as routine as your invitation made it sound.”

Lucy smiled again. “That depends on your client’s answers.”

Before Alek could reply, the door behind her opened again. Two men walked in. I recognized them, too—Fitzgerald and Hayes. FBI.

Neither of them said a word. They didn’t need to.

My stomach dropped.

“Is this a joint interview?” Alek asked sharply.

“No.” Lucy’s voice was cool. “This is a Special Counsel inquiry. Ms. Marquez is not under arrest, nor is she being detained. But I’ve asked Agents Fitzgerald and Hayes to observe, given the scope of their ongoing investigation. Transparency benefits all of us, doesn’t it?”

I didn’t sit.

Neither did Alek.

“Are we recording?” I asked, because I needed to hear the answer out loud.

“Yes,” Lucy said. “Standard procedure. But again—this is not a custodial interrogation.” She gestured to the chairs around a polished table in the conference room. “Shall we?”

Alek pulled out my chair for me, which was either performative or affectionate—I couldn’t tell anymore. I sat, spine straight, eyes forward. He took the seat beside me. Fitzgerald and Hayes stood behind Lucy, arms folded. Lucy opened a folder and smoothed her hands across the paper like she was about to read me my fate. I looked at her hands: perfect nails, trimmed, transparent manicure with white trim. Not a tremor.

“Let’s begin,” she said.

Lucy pressed a button on the small digital recorder in the center of the table. A soft beep followed, and her voice took on a crisp, formal cadence.

“This is Special Counsel Lucy Darnell, Department of Justice. The date is December 28th, 2025. The time is 9:04 a.m. We are conducting a voluntary interview at the DOJ Boston office regarding ongoing inquiries into organized crime activity in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and potential obstruction of justice. Present in the room: myself, Special Counsel; Ms. Ruby Marquez, District Attorney for Suffolk County; Mr. Alek Ivanov, acting as legal counsel for Ms. Marquez; Special Agents Fitzgerald and Hayes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, attending in an observational capacity.”

“Yes,” I said, my voice clear despite how dry my mouth felt.

“And you understand you are not currently under arrest or charged with a crime?”

“I do.”

Lucy nodded once, then turned a page in her folder. “Let’s begin with some background. Can you describe your professional relationship with Mickey Russell?”

Alek’s leg shifted slightly beside mine. I could feel his alertness like static. I folded my hands together.

“I prosecuted Mr. Russell years ago for attempted murder and felony assault in a domestic violence case involving his then-wife, Lily Russell.”

“It’s my understanding that there was some debate at the time about the severity of the charges. Can you walk me through your reasoning?”

“I asked my boss at the time, DA Lenta, to pursue more severe charges.”

“Why?”

“I pushed for it to be tried as an attempted homicide charge, not a domestic violence dispute. Mr. Russell wouldn’t take a plea agreement. He believed that, in his capacity as a doctor, the jury would see that he hadn’t intended to harm his wife.”

“But you believed he was trying to kill her?”

“I did. I still do,” I replied. “So did the jury.”

“What happened?”