ows with a cruel brilliance. Hilliard woke up on the sofa

nts of the night before came rushing

new he had messed up. He shouldn't have brought Charla here, but she

into the hallway. The

" he cal

ans

m door. He knocked. "Cai? Are

le

the handl

op this. Op

th

went to the master bedroom, grabbed the emergency

urned it. The lock clicked

om was

ine, the sheets pulled tight, the pillows fl

door was

ili

is phone and di

you have dialed is disconnec

the phone. Discon

aled

ment Gavin answered. "Track her ph

What's

ne. Just

"Go," he snarled at the driver. "Her favorite places. The park. The Met. The library. And get the commissioner on the phone." As the car tore through the

buzzed. It

from your building at 5:00 AM. Drop off was at

inic. It was whispered about in his circle

ss," Hilliard said

iard gripped the leather seat, his knuckles white, as they sped toward the

ceptionist. "Cailin Ho

here!" a security guard

building!" He shoved his Black Card and his

king calm but stern. "Mr. Hollo

illiard demanded,

thirty minutes ago,"

maiden name stung. "What di

privacy laws," the nurse said. "But she l

m a thick man

so badly he almost dropped it. He rippe

hings f

e papers. Signed.

er read Termination of Pregnancy

y blurred image, the kind produced by older machines, just clear enoug

was torn

is knees buckled, and he collapsed into

on-viable... termination complete. The paperwork was terrifyingly thorough, imp

at the t

he whispered. The

th Charla's drama, with the gala... he hadn't noticed. H

no

note attached to the fil

bsent. Now

nched the wall next to him. The plaster cracked under his fist. Pain shot up his arm

just run into the lobby, panting. "Shut do

was t

e country. They found a trail that led to JFK, to a ticket bought with cash

the trail

ad secretly started building in the penthouse's eas

ees. He clutched the torn sonogram photo to his chest

ct, his arrogance, his blindn

o the empty room. "If it takes a

e man broken on the floor of a

YEARS