Chapter 4 - THE SECOND FILE
The safe-deposit box contained photographs.
Elena at seventeen.
Leaving school.
Walking into a grocery store.
Standing outside her apartment.
Someone had been watching her.
There were dozens.
Then Elena found a police report.
A vehicle registered to Thomas Mercer had exploded on October 14, twenty-five years earlier.
Human remains had been recovered.
The victim had initially been identified as Elena Mercer.
Elena sat motionless.
Someone had convinced her father she was dead.
She called Rachel.
“I need the original case file.”
“Elena—”
“Tonight.”
Three hours later, Rachel found the discrepancy.
The identification had been withdrawn forty-eight hours later.
The remains belonged to another young woman.
But Thomas had disappeared before the correction was made public.
Elena understood.
Someone had broken him.
Then frightened him into running.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She answered.
Silence.
Then Thomas spoke.
“You opened Marcus’s box.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he wanted you to.”
“Where are you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
A pause.
Then Thomas said quietly:
“I’m sorry.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Don’t apologize.”
“I left you.”
“You thought I was dead.”
“I should have checked.”
“You were terrified.”
“I was your father.”
The pain in his voice silenced her.
Elena swallowed.
“Come home.”
Thomas didn’t answer.
“I have a penthouse with six empty rooms.”
“Elena.”
“You don’t have to sleep on a sidewalk.”
“That isn’t why I stay there.”
“Then why?”
“Because the man who can prove everything sleeps three blocks from me.”
Elena sat forward.
“Who?”
“Samuel Price.”
She recognized the name.
Marcus Vale’s former accountant.
Officially, Samuel had died nineteen years ago.
“Samuel is alive?”
“Yes.”
“And he has proof?”
“He has the original ledger.”
Elena stood.
“Take me to him.”
“No.”
“Thomas.”
“No.”
“Twenty-five years ago, you made the decision for me.”
Silence.
“You don’t get to do it again.”
May you like
Thomas exhaled.
Then he gave her an address.
