Chapter 9 - Harrington
I reached the Harrington property in seventeen minutes.
No police lights.
No sirens.
No backup visible.
Agent Reed had insisted his team would be close.
I didn’t know where.
That was probably the point.
I wore a transmitter taped beneath my shirt.
The two flash drives were in my pocket.
One real.
One empty.
I walked through the unfinished hotel entrance.
Concrete.
Dust.
Plastic sheets moving in the wind.
“Vivienne!”
My voice echoed.
A light turned on upstairs.
“Third floor.”
Hayes.
I climbed.
Every step felt too loud.
On the third floor, Lily sat in a folding chair.
No ropes.
No tape.
Just fear.
Vivienne stood beside her.
Hayes was near the window.
Michael stood farther back.
He looked terrible.
Unshaven.
Sweating.
Eyes red.
I stopped.
Lily stared at me.
She had Sofia’s eyes.
There was no question.
“Hey.”
My voice broke.
She hugged a yellow backpack against her chest.
“Are you Daniel?”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
“My mom said you’d come.”
Vivienne’s face tightened.
I looked at her.
“You told me you didn’t kill Sofia.”
“I didn’t.”
Hayes laughed.
“Enough.”
He stepped forward.
“The drives.”
I held up one.
“You want this?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“Daniel,” Michael said.
“Shut up.”
He flinched.
I looked at Hayes.
“What happened to Sofia?”
Hayes smiled.
“She should’ve minded her own business.”
Vivienne snapped, “Don’t.”
He turned.
“What?”
“Don’t talk.”
He laughed.
“You think you’re still running this?”
Vivienne’s posture changed.
Michael saw it too.
There were cracks between them.
Good.
I pressed.
“Sofia found the theft.”
Hayes said nothing.
“Michael moved the money.”
My brother lowered his eyes.
“Vivienne helped hide it.”
Still nothing.
“And you protected them.”
Hayes smiled.
“For a price.”
“Then Sofia found Lily.”
Vivienne stared at me.
I continued.
“And that gave her another reason to keep digging.”
Hayes shook his head.
“She got emotional.”
“Did you sabotage her car?”
Michael said, “Daniel—”
I shouted, “Did he?”
Michael looked at Hayes.
That was answer enough.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Hayes noticed the movement beneath my shirt.
His eyes narrowed.
“Take off your jacket.”
I didn’t move.
“Daniel.”
He reached inside his coat.
Vivienne suddenly stepped between us.
“No guns.”
Hayes stared at her.
“What?”
“I said no guns.”
“You don’t give me orders.”
“You’re standing in my operation.”
Hayes laughed.
“Your operation?”
Then Michael said something none of us expected.
“She recorded you.”
Vivienne turned.
“What?”
Michael pointed at Lily’s backpack.
“Sofia put a recorder in the lining before she died.”
Lily hugged it tighter.
Vivienne’s face changed.
Hayes stepped toward the girl.
I moved instantly.
“Don’t touch her.”
Hayes stopped.
Michael whispered,
“That’s why Sofia brought Lily back here.”
I stared at him.
“What are you talking about?”
His eyes filled with tears.
“She didn’t die on that road by accident.”
My hands curled into fists.
“I know.”
“No.”
Michael shook his head.
“You don’t.”
He looked at Hayes.
Then Vivienne.
May you like
Then me.
“Sofia survived the crash.”
