For several seconds nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Rain drummed against the museum roof, steady enough to disguise small sounds but not large ones. Daniel Mercer stood perhaps thirty feet away with his hands visible at his sides.<\/p>\n
No gun.<\/p>\n
No rush.<\/p>\n
He looked like a man arriving early for a business meeting.<\/p>\n
Marcus stepped slightly in front of Chloe.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re trespassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo are you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe custodian let us in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe custodian also let me in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always were irritating, Marcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus kept his eyes on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI investigated him fifteen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou published allegations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI published documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou published speculation wrapped in documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus shrugged. \u201cYou sued.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat part was satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s attention returned to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have something that belongs to the Harrington family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictoria\u2019s papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother\u2019s papers belong to her children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich children?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question landed too precisely.<\/p>\n
I watched his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know about Elena.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, Mercer\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
Barely.<\/p>\n
But it changed.<\/p>\n
Leo saw it too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is she?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s gaze moved to my brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
He seemed genuinely surprised.<\/p>\n
Marcus took out his phone.<\/p>\n
Mercer said, \u201cNo signal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus checked.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Mercer gestured toward the thick museum walls.<\/p>\n
\u201cOld steel. Terrible reception.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou planned this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI followed you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the diner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEarlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLong enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pictured Mom\u2019s house.<\/p>\n
Sterling\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
The television station.<\/p>\n
Mercer studied us.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me the package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threatened my father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did many things for Harrison Harrington that I regret.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was not the answer I expected.<\/p>\n
Leo stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you threaten to kill us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The simplicity of it stunned us.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threatened children?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was ordered to retrieve Olivia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI used whatever leverage would work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo lunged.<\/p>\n
Marcus caught him around the chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer did not flinch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI deserve that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou deserve prison,\u201d Leo spat.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, no denial.<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Harrison?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s voice echoed in my memory.<\/p>\n
Bring the documents.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou work for Richard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI work for nobody now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why follow us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Harrison has other people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019re protecting him from them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked almost amused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m protecting myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sounded believable.<\/p>\n
I held Dad\u2019s letter behind my back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Elena?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s gaze shifted toward the engine compartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian never told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictoria?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe died before she could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something moved behind his eyes.<\/p>\n
Regret, perhaps.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at the roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said, \u201cWe\u2019re not leaving without answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis building will not be safe much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought someone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That frightened me more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer listened.<\/p>\n
At first I heard nothing.<\/p>\n
Then an engine outside.<\/p>\n
Doors closing.<\/p>\n
More than one.<\/p>\n
Mercer swore under his breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me the package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to keep it, follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the men arriving outside do not care whether you walk out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s voice hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate contractors Harrison used after I retired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour, maybe five.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chloe whispered, \u201cThis evening has become deeply unreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay close to your uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n
She glared. \u201cI planned to.\u201d<\/p>\n
A metallic crash came from the front entrance.<\/p>\n
Mercer turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked toward a restricted corridor behind the engines.<\/p>\n
We hesitated.<\/p>\n
Leo whispered, \u201cThis could be a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said, \u201cSo could staying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another crash.<\/p>\n
The custodian shouted.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
That decided it.<\/p>\n
We followed Mercer.<\/p>\n
He led us through a restoration workshop filled with dismantled machinery and suspended engine parts. The smell of grease and iron brought Dad back so sharply that I almost stumbled.<\/p>\n
Mercer unlocked a rear service door with an old key.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still have access?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome habits survive retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside, a fenced maintenance yard stretched toward the river.<\/p>\n
We moved between freight cars.<\/p>\n
Behind us, voices entered the workshop.<\/p>\n
\u201cCheck the restoration bay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flashlights swept through windows.<\/p>\n
Mercer pointed toward an abandoned passenger car.<\/p>\n
\u201cInside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not getting locked in a train car with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou inherited Julian\u2019s suspicion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd none of his patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another flashlight cut across the yard.<\/p>\n
Mercer opened the carriage door.<\/p>\n
Marcus went first.<\/p>\n
Then Chloe.<\/p>\n
Leo looked at me.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
We entered.<\/p>\n
Mercer followed and pulled the door nearly shut.<\/p>\n
Darkness swallowed us.<\/p>\n
Through the narrow glass, I saw two men enter the yard.<\/p>\n
They wore dark jackets and moved with professional precision.<\/p>\n
One carried something that looked very much like a pistol.<\/p>\n
Chloe saw it too.<\/p>\n
Her hand found mine.<\/p>\n
We stayed silent.<\/p>\n
The men passed.<\/p>\n
One stopped.<\/p>\n
Looked toward our carriage.<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s hand slid inside his coat.<\/p>\n
My heart pounded.<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s radio crackled.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth side clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned away.<\/p>\n
A minute later they disappeared.<\/p>\n
Mercer exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have perhaps five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus whispered, \u201cStart with Elena.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour parents had another daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI gathered that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was born after Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t we know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she never went home with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer sat on a torn vinyl seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison learned Victoria was pregnant again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctors. Staff. Money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe decided he would not allow another child to become leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo\u2019s voice shook.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe arranged the delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cArranged?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate hospital. Different name. Victoria was told the baby died.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words seemed impossible.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho took her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison.\u201d<\/p>\n
I could barely speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the same reason he kept Olivia. Control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he already had Olivia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison did not collect children because he wanted grandchildren. He controlled bloodlines, inheritance, loyalties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said quietly, \u201cAnd assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Harrington trusts were complicated. Certain inheritances moved differently depending on descendants.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of the enormous account.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Elena was worth money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of you were worth money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo stared at him with open hatred.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd where is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expect us to believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou worked for Harrison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI transported the infant once.\u201d<\/p>\n
My brother surged forward again.<\/p>\n
This time I grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo a family in Connecticut.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat family?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe adoption had already been arranged under false documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cName.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBullshit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at Leo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was paid to move problems, not understand them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re describing trafficking a newborn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
No excuses.<\/p>\n
No euphemism.<\/p>\n
Just yes.<\/p>\n
I felt sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Mom ever learn Elena survived?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYears later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian discovered a hospital nurse who had been paid to sign a false death record.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s letter.<\/p>\n
Lose all three children.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe found out before he took Olivia back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s why you threatened three children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer met my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was Elena then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you used her anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison told Julian that if he kept Olivia, Elena would disappear permanently.\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had already disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Julian, there was still hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward the cracked carriage window.<\/p>\n
All my life Mom had been afraid to spend money.<\/p>\n
All my life I thought that fear came from poverty.<\/p>\n
It had come from surveillance, blackmail, and children she could not protect.<\/p>\n
Behind me, Leo whispered, \u201cDid Dad keep looking?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil the day he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
That hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you kill him?\u201d<\/p>\n
The words escaped before I could soften them.<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Harrison?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis death was a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould it have been caused?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s silence lasted too long.<\/p>\n
Marcus leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Julian believed someone had entered the garage two days before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told me that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t speaking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spoke to Dad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce. A month before his death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called me.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer rubbed his thumb across an old scar on his knuckle.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted Elena\u2019s file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you have it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said, \u201cWhere would Harrison keep private family material?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer smiled without humor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a building full of people who think they are storing tax records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrington Plaza?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The carriage seemed suddenly smaller.<\/p>\n
Mercer continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison has a private archive at the original family estate outside Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t help us tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Richard keeps digital copies.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse quickened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his foundation office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Harrington Foundation headquarters. Twelfth floor, two blocks from the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said, \u201cAnd tomorrow everyone important will be at Olivia\u2019s announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re suggesting we break into Richard\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m suggesting nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chloe snorted softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are very clearly suggesting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A beam of light swept across the carriage windows.<\/p>\n
We froze.<\/p>\n
Mercer reached into his coat.<\/p>\n
This time I saw the gun.<\/p>\n
I moved backward instinctively.<\/p>\n
He noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I wanted you dead, Maya, we wouldn\u2019t be talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n
The beam moved on.<\/p>\n
Mercer lowered the weapon.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen carefully. Richard wants those documents because he thinks they prove Victoria violated the settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy telling us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy preserving evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Harrison?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison wants them destroyed because they prove crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked toward the dark ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the truth to survive longer than I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t trust him.<\/p>\n
But I believed that sentence.<\/p>\n
Marcus asked, \u201cWhy now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Harrison gave an order yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat order?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Victoria died without surrendering the archive, everyone named in Julian\u2019s records was to be \u2018resolved.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The word chilled me.<\/p>\n
\u201cResolved?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis word.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is named?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSterling. Me. Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n
My brother\u2019s face went blank.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Maya?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relief came too early.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Harrison didn\u2019t know you had the key.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt it beneath my shirt.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Chloe? Marcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey weren\u2019t part of the original problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus muttered, \u201cComforting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer checked his watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a drainage gate at the east fence.\u201d<\/p>\n
We slipped from the carriage and crossed the yard crouched between freight cars.<\/p>\n
Near the fence, Marcus\u2019s phone regained signal.<\/p>\n
It exploded with notifications.<\/p>\n
He stopped walking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He held up the screen.<\/p>\n
Breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n
A fire.<\/p>\n
Not at the museum.<\/p>\n
At Mom\u2019s house.<\/p>\n
I grabbed the phone.<\/p>\n
The photograph showed flames pouring from the kitchen windows.<\/p>\n
My childhood home.<\/p>\n
The loose tile.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s old coat.<\/p>\n
Everything.<\/p>\n
Leo made a sound I had never heard from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus refreshed.<\/p>\n
Fire crews were on scene.<\/p>\n
No injuries reported.<\/p>\n
Cause unknown.<\/p>\n
Mercer stared at the image.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t cleanup anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA warning.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My own phone began ringing.<\/p>\n
Richard.<\/p>\n
I answered.<\/p>\n
He spoke before I could.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you were not sentimental about the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rage erased fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou burned it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you to bring back what belongs to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou murdered my mother\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe abandoned that life decades ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole her daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Not denial.<\/p>\n
Then Richard said, \u201cWhich daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath stopped.<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s eyes snapped toward me.<\/p>\n
Richard continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see, Maya, this is why curiosity can be dangerous. Families are complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Leo.<\/p>\n
At the hidden package beneath his jacket.<\/p>\n
At Elena\u2019s birth certificate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know where she is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard chuckled softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow. Nine o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went dead.<\/p>\n
For the first time that night, Mercer looked truly frightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked.<\/p>\n
He stared at my phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard shouldn\u2019t know about Elena.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice lowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarrison kept Elena from Richard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how does he know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer looked back toward the museum.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
A terrible possibility opened between us.<\/p>\n
Someone else had been keeping the secret.<\/p>\n
Someone close enough to Richard to learn it.<\/p>\n
Someone who had known my family.<\/p>\n
Leo whispered, \u201cBrenda.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
He was already dialing.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
Third time.<\/p>\n
Voicemail.<\/p>\n
Leo\u2019s face drained.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she was going to a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer asked, \u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Riverside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus searched.<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Riverside is owned by Harrington Hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo ran for the gate.<\/p>\n
For several seconds nobody moved. Rain drummed against the museum roof, steady enough to disguise small sounds but not large ones. Daniel Mercer stood perhaps thirty feet away with his … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharestory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=783"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":829,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783\/revisions\/829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}