ldn't have even been there. Adrian Vale was supposed to be dead, buried five years ago. She spent all night digging through newspaper a

grandmother's letter waited beside her laptop. She'd read it so many times she co

graph knows what hap

, the police at her grandmother's door, and Mara holding her all night. For sixteen years, she believed the accid

o recognize faces. Her grandmother looked uncomfortable. Silas stood nearby, one hand re

GRAND HOTEL. The article was dated October 18, five years ago. Adrian was found dead in a restricte

randmother looked so much like Adrian, but she tried

nd a photo of Adrian. Put them side by s

t

g her jump. Same unfamiliar nu

" she said, skipp

you too," Silas r

games. The man in that ph

kno

five ye

of the offi

ding behind my grandm

us

the hotel

g the q

nswer I can give y

conve

rea

orehead. "Did you know my grandmothe

es

er surpr

w l

ral m

you tell m

didn'

ger slipping th

unbeli

bout things that cou

fore, Mr. Veyr. You wer

or the first time, Sila

in, his voice was

twisting the t

ure in her chest.

N

re you holdi

ate. "When I entered that ro

"You're saying you got

es

d I just b

se I say so. But you deserve

glass, lingering smoke. She remembered Silas standing over Adrian's body, cuff s

You didn't

ing, he handed her eno

ou pay me?

of reach of the

h peo

t expla

rse you

la

ame like you ha

, sil

ved someone was hunting for the original ownership records. She

nced at t

evid

. She refused to say

ld she t

did

off guard. "Then

ess to the Veyr records. She wanted

black car from last night was g

ndmother af

N

n you b

ever talked to me like my wea

itting across from Silas-probably refusing whatever fanc

e her

her never li

nything about my pa

ply right away.

il

ir acciden

ha

private firm tied to the Veyr family. There

er her feet. "Why would your f

g to figur

slippery roads. The police told Mara the driver lost c

ays belie

grandmot

es

Mara-her protector-had

n't she

wanted to p

throat t

rotecting me. But I've s

ore than you th

you d

hung

and fired up her laptop again. She searched for the private investigation

fr

father'

h her father's full name. A scann

LTING PARTNER, VE

ed with the

e neve

il pinged. The address was unfamiliar.

oked like an old hotel security report, dated October 17, five years a

nt completed. No furth

ad it

signature:

pay her to leave-he filed her absenc

t away. He answered

d me a secur

N

gnature'

t re

the not

went

e lost its usual calm.

e email

ce. Don't open attachm

ing to tell me

o find out w

not what

lly. That report isn'

ed at it

to record your departure

m felt

who

d a door open, someone talki

have a

nged on a dime.

archive's be

wh

checking,"

e requested the original footage

came b

not leave y

ed. "You're givi

not to make yours

yone want tha

asured. "Because someon

ced at her

ound thre

fr

il

es

e's at

t ope

r's voice: "Miss Voss? We have someth

phone pressed to her

as calm, alm

ws what happened

nvelope slid u

words written in handw

AS WHO