uch that

ne. It made her freeze hand hovering a f

annoyed, half unsettl

ts you to act before you thi

no sign anyone was still lurking in the hallway. J

ne's sending me messages about what

er the

favorite excu

me. I just need you to stay alive

hich annoyed her even more, beca

lope," he said. "My security team

g anything over

touch it unt

e to let you

e somewhere with cameras, h

envelope again, li

he

yr Gran

ways think dragging me into

every

ess your fa

ially

hung

ce herself the past had nothing to do with her? Too late-her father's name in tha

omeone knew about her grandmother. A

't keep do

envelope, asked for an officer. Then she took a photo of

ly land

tel. I'll expl

left it like th

tel looked just l

der the entrance canopy. Staff drifted between guests, doors s

out of h

er bag on her shoulder-not dressed for a billionaire, definitely not aim

ist smiled as

'am, and welcome

ppointment w

st checked the

ra V

ion changed. Just for a se

uietly, then hung up. "Mr. Veyr is expecti

glimpsed the marble staircase. Five years ago, she'd raced down those

against the floor. She remembered the b

s Vo

napped her back

the twenty-

framed photos of the hotel's big shots

door. "Mr. Ve

ente

collar open, one hand in his pocket, phone

em spoke for

ating. His hair was neat, and those s

red on her fac

und sur

t sure y

her w

hair across from h

l st

r, then shrugged

hone on the desk.

. "That's the messa

es

ou bri

it; I photographed it b

just sligh

late me. Answer

ound the desk,

Vale was already dead. Gun beside him. I barely un

ecurity

es

th

my sister's access card had u

ed. "Your

yr

d she be

was stolen or duplicat

logs, she'd be their main suspect. Someone

icked up

es

aminated

es

e complicated because yo

es

hing, which somehow unsettle

alled the polic

uld h

you d

N

e you weren't just p

dead in the eye

r hung th

oked awa

e honest about

aid I was

eryone else dec

tched in his

toward t

er happened down below. Cars wound through the streets, peopl

illed

cle, I

sharply. "D

s no

hy

ies had been shifted to companies that didn't r

ra

e fr

rian ha

aid h

ot tell t

w much evidence remained bef

e ye

ke he needed to swallow

utting it

kno

membered. It was there, but now she saw exhaustion unde

ndmother get mi

years. No one knew the property r

ever t

less you knew, th

hardened. "Sh

agr

u tell me when I ca

if you brought anyt

ha

at her bag. "T

fr

he wondered if

bras

nd in the archiv

rled tight on

d found it near a busted cabinet while searching for a document th

last night, digging throug

ou know I

, careful. "I saw

watch

in th

over a dead man. Doubt y

d

t crept dow

n't you

now what

you

N

hy ask

ied to the missing

ared a

d kept the key for

ew she

uspe

you

ral t

he ref

t, I had to earn the right

almost smiled. That

d, "She said s

ha

lly lead you to the truth about

chest ti

my fa

n't k

re ly

m n

into Adrian's murder. Now you're saying a ke

you what Ma

ser. "Did my father

nk the

after the

for

it lik

n murdered five years ago. And somehow, their

u tell me any

have sol

want me asking

d be

awfully comfortable admittin

ith it. I've just stop

knocked her

"I want copies of every

ke that

to the hot

at

urity team tailin

t do

we're

d away fro

rds alone. No interference in your profess

need a bo

ant one. But you

rs. "I'm not another pr

or once, his voice turned

but carried somethin

answer, the offic

it entered, ignoring ev

covered the fo

ned. "Who

en replied, "Someone used an

ho

n placed a printe

it. His f

closer. "W

er. She looked

someone who shouldn't couldn't have a

ead for f

AN V

st for original footage fro

his eyes, m

t a much bigger problem tha