Chapter 9 - THE DRIVER WAS HER BROTHER
I stared at Vanessa.
“Marcus is your brother?”
She nodded slowly.
Adrian’s driver.
His mistress’s brother.
The man who had worked beside my husband for four years while pretending not to know Vanessa.
“How long have you known Adrian?” I asked her.
Her eyes moved toward him.
“Five years.”
A full year longer than she had claimed.
I answered the call and placed it on speaker.
“Marcus?”
Static crackled.
Then a man breathed heavily.
“Elena, listen carefully.”
“Where are you?”
“I don’t have much time.”
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Marcus, where are you?”
He went silent.
“Vanessa?”
Her face crumpled for the first time.
“Yes.”
“You weren’t supposed to be at the house.”
“Adrian said today would end everything.”
Marcus swore under his breath.
“Elena, do not go to Unit 214.”
My father’s security officer lowered his phone.
“Why?”
Marcus heard him.
“Who is that?”
“My father is here.”
Another pause.
Then Marcus whispered, “Thank God.”
Adrian moved toward the phone.
My father blocked him.
“What’s in the storage unit?” I asked.
“Nothing now.”
“What happened to the boxes?”
“They were moved this morning.”
“By whom?”
“I couldn’t see. I was following the truck.”
A loud metallic sound came through the line.
Marcus inhaled sharply.
“Someone’s here.”
“Where are you?”
“The Halcyon garage.”
Vanessa gripped the railing.
“Get out.”
“I can’t. They blocked both exits.”
My father signaled to his security officer, who began texting rapidly.
“Marcus,” my father said, “can you reach the stairwell?”
“No. They know which car I’m in.”
“Who are they?”
“I never saw their faces.”
Adrian spoke suddenly.
“Tell him to check the passenger seat.”
Everyone looked at him.
Marcus went silent.
“How do you know what’s in his car?” I asked.
Adrian’s expression betrayed him.
Marcus shouted through the speaker.
“Don’t touch it!”
A sharp electronic beep sounded.
The call disconnected.
Vanessa screamed her brother’s name.
My father’s security officer was already moving toward the door.
“We have people three minutes from the hotel.”
“I’m going,” Vanessa said.
“No,” Adrian replied.
She turned on him.
“You knew something was in his car.”
“I guessed.”
“You told him to check the passenger seat.”
“Because that’s where drivers keep delivery files.”
Vanessa slapped him.
The sound cracked across the room.
Adrian’s face turned slowly back toward her.
The look in his eyes made her step away.
I had seen that look before.
Usually just before he closed a door and lowered his voice.
My father’s security officer received a message.
“Team reached the garage.”
We all waited.
Seconds crawled past.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His face remained controlled, but his eyes darkened.
“Is Marcus alive?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Vanessa sagged against the wall.
“What was in the car?”
The officer looked at my father.
“A burner phone.”
“That’s all?” Vanessa asked.
“It began playing a recording as soon as Marcus touched it.”
I felt cold spread through me.
“What recording?”
The officer connected his phone to the room’s speaker.
A distorted voice began to play.
May you like
“Elena Whitmore must sign before sunset. If she does not, release the file marked Miriam.”
Dr. Cole dropped her medical bag.
