For several seconds, I couldn't move.<\/p>\n
The caller was still connected.<\/p>\n
I heard someone breathing.<\/p>\n
Then a man ordered:<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep him away from the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
A scraping noise followed.<\/p>\n
Something heavy moved across the floor.<\/p>\n
Brynn began crying again.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first man returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Marlowe, we have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
I forced myself to speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet Brynn go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat depends on her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina knelt beside the coffee table.<\/p>\n
Her face was wet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what we want.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made an arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat arrangement is finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't get to finish it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet my daughter go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused.<\/p>\n
Then said:<\/p>\n
\u201cBring the remaining money.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call ended.<\/p>\n
I stared at the cracked screen.<\/p>\n
Thirty minutes.<\/p>\n
Somewhere in Boston, Brynn was being held.<\/p>\n
And somebody with Julian's voice had begged Regina to save her.<\/p>\n
I turned toward my mother-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTessa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen explain what I heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone imitating him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would anyone do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo frighten us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegina.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called him Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou recognized him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed her palm against the floor.<\/p>\n
A shard of glass lay inches from her fingers.<\/p>\n
I moved it away.<\/p>\n
Even then, I couldn't stop myself.<\/p>\n
Twelve years of marriage had taught me to take care of the people Julian loved.<\/p>\n
Even when they didn't deserve it.<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
A message from Ortiz.<\/p>\n
STAY INSIDE. DO NOT LET REGINA LEAVE.<\/p>\n
I looked at the front window.<\/p>\n
An unmarked sedan had stopped across the street.<\/p>\n
Another message followed.<\/p>\n
WE ARE COMING TO THE DOOR.<\/p>\n
Regina noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called the police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore you arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her fear became anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you understand what you've done?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm trying to find Brynn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've made it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me how.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina grabbed my wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin won't negotiate if he sees police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin has already kidnapped your daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wasn't supposed to take her!\u201d<\/p>\n
Her words hung between us.<\/p>\n
I pulled my hand away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was he supposed to take?\u201d<\/p>\n
She said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n
A tear slid down her cheek.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Finally, she whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had expected that answer.<\/p>\n
Still, hearing it made something inside me go cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina rubbed her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you wouldn't leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou arranged my kidnapping over a house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are things you don't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian found something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancial records.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart tightened.<\/p>\n
He had argued with Regina shortly before his death.<\/p>\n
I remembered the words.<\/p>\n
You're not protecting the family.<\/p>\n
You're protecting yourself.<\/p>\n
At the time, Julian refused to tell me what they meant.<\/p>\n
Now I wondered whether he'd been trying to keep me safe.<\/p>\n
A knock sounded.<\/p>\n
Three firm knocks.<\/p>\n
\u201cTessa Marlowe,\u201d Ortiz called.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoston Police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina caught my arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't open it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's already open, Regina.\u201d<\/p>\n
I unlocked the door.<\/p>\n
Ortiz entered with Detective Evan Cho.<\/p>\n
Neither looked surprised to see Regina.<\/p>\n
Ortiz took in the broken groceries.<\/p>\n
The phone.<\/p>\n
My mother-in-law on the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Marlowe,\u201d she said to Regina.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina struggled upright.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter has been kidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen find her!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what we're doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid the caller contact you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
I handed over the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrynn was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz's expression sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
I swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone else spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Regina.<\/p>\n
She turned away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded like Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cho stopped writing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deceased Julian Marlowe?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
Ortiz didn't dismiss me.<\/p>\n
She didn't offer a comforting explanation.<\/p>\n
Instead, she asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you describe exactly what he said?\u201d<\/p>\n
I repeated it.<\/p>\n
Every word.<\/p>\n
\u201cMother. Don't let them hurt Brynn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina covered her face.<\/p>\n
Ortiz studied her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Marlowe, do you recognize that voice?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour daughter-in-law says you addressed him by name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was confused.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas your son involved with Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina's head snapped upward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know anyone named Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz placed a photograph on the coffee table.<\/p>\n
A middle-aged man with close-cropped hair.<\/p>\n
Broad shoulders.<\/p>\n
A deep scar near his right eyebrow.<\/p>\n
Regina looked away too quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin Vale,\u201d Ortiz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFormer security contractor.\u201d<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe worked for Marlowe Family Holdings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina's jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was dismissed years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, his contract ended seven months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz held her gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix weeks before Julian's death.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted.<\/p>\n
I recognized the name.<\/p>\n
Julian had mentioned Martin.<\/p>\n
Not often.<\/p>\n
Usually when discussing transport arrangements for his mother.<\/p>\n
But I remembered one conversation.<\/p>\n
Julian had come home late.<\/p>\n
He stood at the kitchen counter.<\/p>\n
Didn't remove his coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin's been moving documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat documents?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings that belong in our office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what I intend to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had forgotten that conversation.<\/p>\n
Or perhaps I'd buried it beneath everything that happened afterward.<\/p>\n
Now it returned with awful clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin worked for Julian,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Ortiz nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Regina?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's one of our questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina rose abruptly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to go to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cho moved toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, ma'am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot keep me here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need your cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter will die!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz's voice remained steady.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen help us prevent that.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, Regina looked ready to strike her.<\/p>\n
Instead, she collapsed onto the sofa.<\/p>\n
I moved away from her.<\/p>\n
We had sat together in that room countless times.<\/p>\n
For birthdays.<\/p>\n
Christmas mornings.<\/p>\n
Family dinners.<\/p>\n
Julian used to make coffee while Regina complained about the traffic.<\/p>\n
Now I looked at the woman beside me.<\/p>\n
And wondered how many of those ordinary afternoons she'd spent planning to destroy me.<\/p>\n
The detectives separated us.<\/p>\n
Cho stayed with Regina.<\/p>\n
Ortiz took me into Julian's study.<\/p>\n
I hadn't changed much since his death.<\/p>\n
His desk remained near the window.<\/p>\n
Books lined the shelves.<\/p>\n
A brass paperweight rested on a stack of correspondence.<\/p>\n
His old reading glasses lay beside the lamp.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I came into the room simply to sit.<\/p>\n
The smell of his cedarwood cologne had faded.<\/p>\n
But the room still belonged to him.<\/p>\n
Ortiz closed the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about the funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n
The question startled me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see your husband's body?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there a viewing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClosed coffin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho arranged that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegina.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian had supposedly died on a wet stretch of highway outside Boston.<\/p>\n
A vehicle collision.<\/p>\n
Then a fire.<\/p>\n
The police told me his car struck a barrier before another vehicle hit it.<\/p>\n
I received the call just after midnight.<\/p>\n
By the time I reached the hospital, everything had already happened.<\/p>\n
Regina took control.<\/p>\n
She spoke with the funeral director.<\/p>\n
The insurance company.<\/p>\n
The family attorney.<\/p>\n
I had been so numb that I barely understood the forms placed before me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told the injuries were severe,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Ortiz leaned against the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegina.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe funeral director.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see the identification report?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegina said she'd handled it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz wrote something down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever speak directly with the medical examiner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone show you dental records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She remained quiet.<\/p>\n
My heartbeat increased.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you suggesting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm asking how the identification was established.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Julian's glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI buried him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched them lower the coffin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz met my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't necessarily establish who was inside it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to tilt.<\/p>\n
I gripped the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think Julian's alive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we need to verify what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
I wanted to shout.<\/p>\n
To demand certainty.<\/p>\n
Instead, I whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI would know his voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat may be important.\u201d<\/p>\n
She showed me a photograph of Martin's van.<\/p>\n
Dark paint.<\/p>\n
No company markings.<\/p>\n
A partially obscured license plate.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you seen this vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
I studied it.<\/p>\n
Something about the shape bothered me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rear window.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere's a pale patch near the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA repair?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered an afternoon three months earlier.<\/p>\n
Regina had visited unexpectedly.<\/p>\n
A black van waited outside.<\/p>\n
I had assumed it belonged to a contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegina came here in something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJanuary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you certain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was driving?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn't see.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the photograph again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she told me she had borrowed a car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz made another note.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
There was something.<\/p>\n
Julian's last argument with Regina.<\/p>\n
His insistence about our financial records.<\/p>\n
And one strange instruction.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything happens,\u201d he told me, \u201cdon't sign anything until you've spoken with Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel Mercer.<\/p>\n
Julian's attorney.<\/p>\n
But after the accident, Regina said Daniel was no longer representing the family.<\/p>\n
She introduced another lawyer.<\/p>\n
Peter Bell.<\/p>\n
He brought forms to the townhouse.<\/p>\n
I signed some.<\/p>\n
Refused others.<\/p>\n
The trust agreement was among those I refused.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian told me to contact Daniel Mercer,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Ortiz looked interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour days before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never returned my calls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have his number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Julian's contacts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet's find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel Mercer answered on the third ring.<\/p>\n
When Ortiz identified herself, he went silent.<\/p>\n
Then he asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Tessa safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question made my stomach drop.<\/p>\n
Ortiz looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe's with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas Regina been arrested?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot currently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
Then Daniel said:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to check the trust accounts immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Julian discovered unauthorized transfers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't have the final figure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn estimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral million dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sank into Julian's chair.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian believed someone was using the family trust to secure private loans.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe suspected his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Martin Vale?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin handled confidential deliveries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat deliveries?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDocuments. Cashier's checks. Occasionally company records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you warn Julian?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he take action?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe requested an independent audit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel gave the date.<\/p>\n
Five days before the crash.<\/p>\n
I remembered that morning.<\/p>\n
Julian had kissed me goodbye.<\/p>\n
Then returned for his briefcase.<\/p>\n
He stood in the doorway.<\/p>\n
Looked at me.<\/p>\n
And said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever happens this week, remember I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOccupational hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the last ordinary morning we shared.<\/p>\n
Ortiz put Daniel on speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Mercer, did Julian express concern for his safety?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he believe anyone might hurt him?\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm afraid he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel answered quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wouldn't give me a name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he added:<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he asked me to protect Tessa if something happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
I covered my mouth.<\/p>\n
All those months.<\/p>\n
I had believed Julian left me without warning.<\/p>\n
Now I wondered whether he'd been trying to warn me in the only way he could.<\/p>\n
Outside the study, Regina began shouting.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can't take that!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz opened the door.<\/p>\n
Cho had found a second device inside Regina's handbag.<\/p>\n
A small silver key fob.<\/p>\n
Attached to it was a numbered storage tag.<\/p>\n
Regina was struggling to retrieve it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's mine!\u201d<\/p>\n
Cho held it away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does this open?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing important.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you upset?\u201d<\/p>\n
She refused to answer.<\/p>\n
I stepped into the hallway.<\/p>\n
Regina saw me.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cTessa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don't let them take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Brynn\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice failed.<\/p>\n
Ortiz examined the tag.<\/p>\n
There was an address stamped beneath the number.<\/p>\n
An industrial storage facility near the harbor.<\/p>\n
She showed it to Cho.<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
Then Regina suddenly said:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot go there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d Ortiz asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Martin will know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina looked down.<\/p>\n
I followed her gaze.<\/p>\n
Her handbag.<\/p>\n
The phone.<\/p>\n
The key.<\/p>\n
Everything she'd brought into my house.<\/p>\n
I felt a terrible realization forming.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere's a tracker,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Regina closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Ortiz moved immediately.<\/p>\n
She called for a technical unit.<\/p>\n
Cho checked the bag.<\/p>\n
A small electronic device had been sewn into its lining.<\/p>\n
Regina began sobbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to keep it close.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he'd know if I tried to run.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz looked toward me.<\/p>\n
Then back at Regina.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're going to tell us everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe'll kill Brynn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can protect her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't understand him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen help us understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, Regina looked genuinely old.<\/p>\n
She sat down.<\/p>\n
Her hands rested in her lap.<\/p>\n
And she whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian found out about the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knew I'd been borrowing from the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout authorization?\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much, Mrs. Marlowe?\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNearly four million.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour million dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina wouldn't look at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did it go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat investments?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate developments. Property. Things that were supposed to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of the trust agreement.<\/p>\n
The pressure to surrender my rights.<\/p>\n
The endless accusations that I wanted Julian's money.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou needed me gone because I wouldn't sign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina nodded.<\/p>\n
I stepped backward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou arranged to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Martin to frighten you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I held up the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake it look accidental.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wrote those words.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regina looked toward Ortiz.<\/p>\n
Then whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted her out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence settled over the room.<\/p>\n
Simple.<\/p>\n
Ugly.<\/p>\n
Irreversible.<\/p>\n
Ortiz's radio crackled.<\/p>\n
She listened.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
Then she turned toward Cho.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarbor storage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found the van.\u201d<\/p>\n
I moved toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrynn?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz held up her hand.<\/p>\n
The radio continued.<\/p>\n
Static.<\/p>\n
A voice.<\/p>\n
Then a terrible pause.<\/p>\n
Finally, the officer reported:<\/p>\n
\u201cVehicle's empty.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we found evidence of recent occupancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz asked for details.<\/p>\n
The answer came moments later.<\/p>\n
\u201cFemale belongings. Red cashmere fibers.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gripped the doorway.<\/p>\n
The officer continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical supplies. Personal documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz's face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer made every person in the room go still.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdentification papers for Julian Marlowe.\u201d<\/p>\n
END PART 2<\/p>\n