Chapter 5 - The Enemy Inside the House
Harper stood so quickly the laptop nearly fell.
"What do you mean, gone?"
Roman was already moving.
"Security lost visual contact with her fourteen minutes ago."
"At your house?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Roman didn't answer.
He was calling Daniel.
No response.
Again.
Nothing.
Harper's fear sharpened.
"Roman."
"I know."
"Daniel's missing too."
"I know."
Evelyn appeared in the doorway.
"What's happening?"
Harper couldn't explain.
Not yet.
She kissed her mother.
"Lock the door after us."
Roman turned.
"Evelyn, don't open it for anyone except the officer I'm leaving outside."
Evelyn studied him.
"Bring your mother home."
Roman nodded once.
"I will."
During the drive, Roman made calls.
Harper watched his transformation.
The man who had softened beside Leo's laptop disappeared.
In his place was someone cold, focused and terrifyingly efficient.
But Harper noticed his left hand.
It trembled.
She covered it with hers.
Roman looked at her.
"She's alive," Harper said.
"You don't know that."
"No. But neither do you."
He stared out the window.
"My entire life, I thought protecting her meant controlling everything around her."
"Maybe that's why she keeps secrets."
His eyes returned to Harper.
She expected anger.
Instead he nodded.
"Probably."
At the estate, surveillance footage showed Beatrice leaving through the garden gate.
Alone.
No struggle.
No forced entry.
She had chosen to leave.
Harper watched again.
"Pause."
The technician froze the frame.
Beatrice was holding something.
An envelope.
Roman leaned closer.
"The note."
"No. Different envelope."
Harper recognized the handwriting.
"Victor."
Roman turned.
"How?"
"His letter in the box. Same handwriting."
A car had collected Beatrice two blocks away.
Daniel's car.
Roman called him again.
This time Daniel answered.
"She's safe."
Roman exploded.
"Where is my mother?"
"Roman—"
"Where?"
"She asked me to take her somewhere."
"Where?"
A pause.
Then Daniel gave him an address.
An old house near Lake Michigan.
Roman, Harper and two security officers arrived forty minutes later.
Daniel waited outside.
Roman stormed toward him.
Harper caught Roman's arm.
"Your mother chose to come here."
Roman stopped.
That truth mattered.
He entered the house.
Beatrice was sitting at a kitchen table.
Across from her sat an elderly man.
Victor Dane.
Roman recognized him immediately despite the decades.
Victor stood.
"You look like Anthony."
Roman ignored him.
He went directly to Beatrice.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
Then signed.
Harper translated.
"She says she's sorry."
Roman stared at his mother.
"No more secrets."
Beatrice answered.
Then stop deciding which truths I can handle.
Harper translated quietly.
Roman flinched.
Then he sat.
"Okay."
Victor placed a folder on the table.
"Your father wasn't killed because of a business rival."
Roman's face tightened.
Victor continued.
"Anthony discovered his brother was stealing from the company."
"Sal."
Victor nodded.
"Millions over several years. Anthony was going to remove him."
"You're saying my uncle caused my father's accident."
"I'm saying Anthony's brakes had been tampered with. I couldn't prove who did it."
Roman's breathing changed.
"Why disappear?"
"Because Sal threatened Beatrice."
Beatrice looked down.
Victor continued.
"I thought leaving would make him believe the evidence was gone."
"But it wasn't," Harper said.
Victor looked at her.
"No."
He knew her.
Harper saw it.
"You knew Leo."
Victor's face softened.
"Yes."
Harper's knees nearly failed.
Roman pulled out a chair.
She sat.
"Tell me."
"Leo found the digitized records. He contacted me."
"You met him?"
"Twice."
Harper's tears returned.
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"He wanted to protect you."
She laughed bitterly.
"Everybody keeps protecting people by lying to them."
Beatrice looked at Roman.
Roman understood.
Victor continued.
"Leo copied the records. Sal found out."
Harper's face went white.
"Did Sal kill my brother?"
"I don't know."
"Don't give me that."
"I don't know," Victor repeated. "Leo died in a road accident. I have no proof it was anything else."
Harper closed her eyes.
She wanted certainty.
But truth didn't always provide it.
Roman reached for her hand.
This time she held on.
Victor opened the folder.
"But Leo left something behind."
Inside was a storage receipt.
A bank safe-deposit box.
Registered under Leo Hayes.
Harper stared.
"I didn't know he had one."
"He gave me the key."
Victor placed it on the table.
"Why wait six years?"
"Because somebody started looking for it again."
Roman frowned.
"The person sending threats."
Victor nodded.
"And I believe Sal knows Harper can access the box."
"Why?"
"Because Leo named her beneficiary."
Roman stood.
"We go to the bank tomorrow."
"No," Harper said.
Everyone looked at her.
"We go tonight."
"The bank is closed."
Harper held up the key.
"Then tomorrow morning. But I'm opening it."
Roman started to object.
She stopped him.
"No more protecting me by deciding for me."
Beatrice smiled.
Roman looked from his mother to Harper.
"I am surrounded."
"By women smarter than you," Harper said.
Beatrice signed.
Harper laughed.
"What?"
"She says finally."
For the first time that night, Roman smiled.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message.
Roman read it.
His smile vanished.
It contained a photograph taken only minutes earlier.
Harper entering Victor's house.
Underneath were four words.
BRING ME THE KEY.
And below them:
OR BEATRICE PAYS FIRST.
May you like
Someone knew exactly where they were.
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