Chapter 4
Marcus came to the secure apartment that afternoon.
I almost told security not to let him upstairs.
Instead, I let him in because I was tired of receiving pieces of my life through phones.
He stopped just inside.
No hug.
No assumption.
Good.
He wore the same blue blazer from the restaurant.
He looked older up close.
Not old.
Changed.
A thin scar crossed his temple.
Another disappeared beneath his collar.
His eyes were still Marcus.
That was the problem.
I folded my arms.
“Talk.”
He nodded.
“Your father worked as a consultant for Sterling years before we met.”
“Doing what?”
“Compliance.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That's ironic.”
“Yes.”
“Did he know Elliot?”
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
“How well?”
“Too well.”
Marcus sat only after I pointed toward a chair.
“Leon discovered Sterling was using smaller companies to move money through fake vendor contracts.”
“The same thing they did to yours?”
“Yes.”
“What did Dad do?”
“Collected evidence.”
“Why didn't he report it?”
“He tried.”
My stomach tightened.
“To who?”
“Internal board first.”
“Bad idea.”
“He learned that.”
Marcus’s mouth tightened.
“After his access was removed.”
“What happened next?”
“He left Sterling.”
I remembered Dad telling me he retired from consulting because he hated corporate politics.
Another half-truth.
“Then?”
“For years, nothing.”
Marcus looked down.
“Until my company accepted Sterling's investment.”
My chest tightened.
“Dad knew?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't he warn us?”
“He did.”
I frowned.
“To you?”
“No.”
“To Daniel.”
That hurt strangely.
“Why Daniel?”
“Daniel handled investors.”
Of course.
“What did Daniel do?”
Marcus stared.
“He never told me.”
My hands became fists.
“He knew Sterling was dangerous before you disappeared?”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“Leon’s email only said Sterling had a history of unethical pressure and hidden transactions.”
“And Daniel ignored it.”
“Yes.”
“Did Dad contact you later?”
Marcus nodded.
“Six months before I disappeared.”
“What did he say?”
“He apologized for not coming to me first.”
That sounded like Dad.
“He gave me copies of old Sterling documents.”
“And that's how you discovered Elliot?”
“Yes.”
Marcus's voice lowered.
“Your father had been tracking him.”
My mind raced.
“So the car following you…”
“Was Leon’s.”
“Was Dad driving?”
“No.”
I stopped.
“What?”
Marcus looked directly at me.
“Your father had loaned the car to Agent Holloway.”
I stared.
“Renee?”
“Yes.”
Everything rearranged.
“She was following you.”
“Protecting me.”
“Why didn't she say that this morning?”
“Because the operation involving your father is still sensitive.”
“He's dead.”
“Yes.”
Marcus’s face tightened.
“But some of the people he was investigating aren't.”
I walked toward the window.
Dad.
Quiet Dad.
The man who called every Sunday.
Who hated technology.
Who once asked me how to turn off Bluetooth.
Apparently, he had been involved in a federal financial investigation.
“Did Mom know?”
“No.”
My mother died five years ago.
Maybe that was why he took the risk.
Nothing left to protect except me.
Except apparently he had protected Marcus too.
“What happened that night?”
Marcus took a breath.
“When those men hit my car, Renee was behind them.”
“Dad’s car.”
“Yes.”
“She pulled one man off me.”
“And the other?”
“Ran.”
“Then she drove you away.”
“Yes.”
“So Dad saved you indirectly.”
Marcus nodded.
“He also gave Renee emergency money and a safe property.”
My eyes filled.
“Where?”
“A cabin outside Baltimore.”
Dad had a cabin?
Of course he did.
“Did you see him?”
“Once.”
My chest stopped.
“After you disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three weeks later.”
Anger rose.
“You saw my father while I thought you were dead.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
His voice cracked.
“He asked about you first.”
I couldn't breathe.
“He wanted to tell you.”
“Then why didn't he?”
“Renee stopped him.”
“Why?”
“Because surveillance showed Sterling was watching you.”
I remembered strange cars.
Maybe.
Or maybe memory was inventing things now.
Marcus continued.
“Leon agreed secrecy was safer.”
“So my father participated in this.”
“Yes.”
I cried.
Not loudly.
Just tears.
“Did he know you stayed hidden after fourteen months?”
Marcus looked down.
“No.”
There.
Important.
“Why not?”
“By then, we lost direct contact.”
“Dad died a year after your disappearance.”
“Yes.”
“He believed you were still under protection.”
Marcus whispered:
“Yes.”
My anger became sharper.
“So don't hide behind him.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
I wiped my face.
“Why did you stay away?”
Marcus took a long breath.
“Because by fourteen months, evidence suggested the leak came from someone close to you.”
My body stiffened.
“Who?”
“We didn't know.”
“So you suspected me?”
“No.”
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“That was correct.”
“Partly.”
“Who else?”
“Your father’s old network.”
I stared.
“And?”
Marcus struggled.
“Nia, I had been gone more than a year.”
“So?”
“I didn't know what coming back would do.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That is cowardice, not protection.”
“Yes.”
The answer stopped me.
Marcus looked at me.
“It became cowardice.”
His eyes filled.
“At first I told myself I was protecting you.”
His voice cracked.
“Then I saw you rebuilding.”
“How?”
“Occasional surveillance reports.”
My stomach turned.
“You watched me?”
“Not personally.”
“That doesn't help.”
“I know.”
“You knew I was grieving.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I stopped wearing my engagement ring.”
His face tightened.
“Yes.”
“You knew I started seeing Daniel.”
His jaw clenched.
“Yes.”
“And you still stayed away.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to hurt him.
Not physically.
I wanted him to feel three years.
“You let another man comfort me because you were afraid to face what you had done.”
“Yes.”
Tears rolled down his face.
No defense.
That mattered.
Not enough.
But mattered.
“I hated you,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“I told myself you stole money and abandoned me.”
“I know.”
“I threw away your shirts.”
He almost smiled through tears.
“Fair.”
“Don't.”
“Sorry.”
I turned away.
Silence.
Then:
“Do you still love me?”
I closed my eyes.
Cruel question.
“That's not yours to ask yet.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
My phone rang.
Renee.
I answered.
“Daniel?”
“Alive.”
Relief hit me.
“What happened?”
“Concussion. Broken rib.”
“Who attacked him?”
“We don't know.”
“The drive?”
“Gone.”
Of course.
“Did he describe the man?”
“Masked.”
“What about the video?”
“Backup may exist.”
I looked at Marcus.
Renee continued.
“There's more.”
“What?”
“We found Daniel’s old correspondence with Elliot.”
My stomach tightened.
“And?”
“Daniel wasn't just being paid for information.”
“What else?”
“He held equity in a Sterling-controlled company.”
Marcus went still.
I put the call on speaker.
Renee continued:
“Vanguard Holdings.”
Marcus whispered:
“The shell company.”
“Yes.”
My stomach dropped.
“Daniel owned part of the company used to move stolen money?”
“Four percent.”
“Did he know?”
“Likely.”
Marcus stood.
“So he lied last night.”
Renee said:
“About some things.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everybody does.”
Renee continued:
“But there's another shareholder.”
“Who?”
“Leon Brooks.”
My father.
I sat.
“No.”
Marcus stared.
“What percentage?”
“Twelve.”
My father had owned part of the shell company used in the scheme.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Renee said:
“We agree.”
“Could it be forged?”
“Yes.”
“Was it?”
“Unknown.”
I looked at Marcus.
His face had changed.
“What?”
He whispered:
“I've seen that structure before.”
“Where?”
“In Leon’s evidence.”
My pulse quickened.
“Explain.”
Marcus looked at Renee’s voice coming from the phone.
“Sterling registered fraudulent ownership stakes in people’s names to make transfers appear legitimate.”
Renee became quiet.
Then:
“That matches one theory.”
I exhaled.
“So Dad might have been framed.”
“Yes.”
“Like Marcus.”
“Yes.”
Like Daniel claimed too.
Maybe everyone had layers of guilt and innocence.
I hated ambiguity.
Then Renee said:
“Nia, we found something else in Daniel’s office.”
“What?”
“A sealed envelope addressed to you.”
My chest tightened.
“From Daniel?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Renee paused.
“Your father.”
I stopped breathing.
“When was it written?”
“Three years ago.”
Around Marcus's disappearance.
“Why did Daniel have it?”
“We don't know.”
Marcus whispered:
“He intercepted it.”
I looked at him.
“Don't assume.”
He nodded.
Fair.
Renee continued:
“We’re bringing it to you.”
Thirty minutes later, she arrived.
The envelope had Dad’s handwriting.
Nia.
I opened it.
Sweetheart,
If anything strange happens around Marcus, do not trust the first story you hear.
My chest tightened.
Dad knew.
I kept reading.
Daniel knows more about Sterling than he admits.
Marcus looked away.
The next line:
But Daniel is not the person I am most afraid of.
I stared.
Renee leaned closer.
I continued.
Elliot Crane has someone inside federal law enforcement.
The room went cold.
Renee's face changed.
“What?”
I looked at her.
Dad’s letter continued.
I do not know the name. If Marcus disappears, the investigation itself may be compromised.
Marcus went pale.
Renee whispered:
“Leon never told me that.”
I read the final line.
If you must trust someone, trust Renee Holloway only if she gives you the phrase your mother used to say whenever I worked too late.
I stopped.
Renee stared.
“What phrase?” Marcus asked.
I looked at her.
My mother used one sentence every time Dad came home after midnight.
Something nobody outside our family should know.
I asked Renee:
“What did my mother say?”
Renee did not hesitate.
“Leon, if work loves you so much, let work make your breakfast.”
My knees almost gave out.
Correct.
Renee exhaled.
“Leon built a verification phrase.”
Marcus looked stunned.
Dad had thought of everything.
Almost.
I kept reading.
One last sentence.
If Renee knows the phrase, give her the key.
I frowned.
“What key?”
Something fell from inside the envelope.
A tiny brass key landed on the table.
Renee went completely still.
Marcus whispered:
“What does it open?”
I picked it up.
Stamped on one side:
214.
Renee’s expression changed.
“I know.”
“What?”
“Union Station.”
My heart raced.
“A locker?”
She nodded.
“Old storage lockers were removed years ago.”
Marcus frowned.
“Then?”
Renee looked at the number again.
“Not a locker.”
She stood.
“Safe-deposit suite.”
“What is inside?”
Renee met my eyes.
“If Leon hid something there three years ago…”
May you like
She swallowed.
“It may be the evidence Sterling has been trying to find this entire time.”
