Chapter 8 - DARKNESS
Emergency lights came on red.
Lily started screaming.
Not crying.
Screaming.
Claire wrapped her arms around her.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
“Mommy!”
The word ripped through the room.
Dr. Price rushed in with a medic.
Claire refused treatment until Lily stopped shaking.
Then they bandaged Claire’s head.
“Lucky,” the medic said.
Claire looked at the bullet mark in the wall.
“Doesn’t feel lucky.”
Gabriel arrived six minutes later.
He crossed the room without speaking.
His eyes went first to Lily.
Then to Claire’s bandage.
“You were hit.”
“Barely.”
He turned toward his security men.
“How did Sofia get back inside?”
Nobody answered.
Gabriel looked at Tomas.
“You checked facial access?”
“Yes.”
“Elevator records?”
“Her credential was used through the service entrance.”
“That credential was supposed to be disabled.”
“It was.”
Gabriel’s gaze sharpened.
“So someone reactivated it.”
Vincent entered.
“We found Crowe.”
Gabriel turned.
“Where?”
“Dead.”
Silence.
“Roof utility room. Shot twice.”
Claire closed her eyes.
This wasn’t a family.
It was a battlefield with expensive furniture.
Vincent held up another phone.
“Crowe had messages with Kane.”
Gabriel frowned.
“So Crowe was the inside man?”
“Looks that way.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
Every man looked at her.
Gabriel asked, “No?”
“Sofia just admitted working with Kane. Crowe being dead now is too convenient.”
Vincent stared at her.
“She’s right.”
Gabriel looked irritated that she was right.
Claire continued.
“Whoever killed him wants you to stop looking.”
Lily pulled on Claire’s sleeve.
“There were two.”
Claire bent down.
“Two what?”
“Flower ladies.”
Claire frowned.
“One was Aunt Sofia.”
Lily shook her head.
“Not Aunt Sofia.”
The room froze.
Claire whispered, “The woman who took you from the car wasn’t Sofia?”
“No.”
“She smelled like Aunt Sofia?”
Lily nodded.
“Same perfume.”
Gabriel looked toward Vincent.
Claire asked, “Did you see her face?”
Lily shook her head.
“She had a scarf.”
“What did she sound like?”
Lily closed her eyes.
Then she whispered, “Like Miss Anna.”
Gabriel’s face changed.
Claire knew instantly that name mattered.
“Who’s Anna?”
Gabriel answered slowly.
“Lily’s former nanny.”
“Former?”
“She died eight months ago.”
Claire stared at him.
“How?”
“Car accident.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
Gabriel looked at his daughter.
“What do you mean, no?”
May you like
The little girl’s voice became barely audible.
“I saw Miss Anna after Mommy got shot.”
