Chapter 3 - THE CATALOG
Ethan began with a company Maya had never heard of.
Northbridge Family Services.
The name sounded harmless.
That had been the point.
On paper, Northbridge provided private security, family relocation assistance, and confidential legal services for wealthy clients.
Behind those services was another operation.
Information.
Custody disputes.
Private medical records.
Hidden bank accounts.
Affairs.
Addictions.
Secret children.
Anything that could become leverage.
Victor Hale collected weaknesses the way other men collected property.
Ethan had worked for him.
“How long?”
Maya asked.
“Eleven years.”
She almost laughed.
They had been married for seven.
“You were already working for him when we met.”
“Yes.”
“Was meeting me part of it?”
Ethan looked away.
Maya’s heart broke before he answered.
“Yes.”
Cole watched her carefully.
She refused to cry.
“Why me?”
“Your father.”
Maya turned toward the stairs.
“My father?”
“His company had access to transportation contracts Victor wanted.”
“So you married me to get to him?”
“At first.”
The words landed harder than a slap.
“At first?”
Ethan leaned forward.
“I wasn’t supposed to love you.”
Maya’s expression hardened.
“Don’t.”
“I did.”
“Don’t you dare turn this into a love story.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
She pointed toward the recorder.
“Because men who love their wives don’t secretly catalog their families.”
Ethan flinched.
Cole resumed the recording.
A woman’s voice appeared this time.
“Asset 42 requires relocation.”
Victor answered.
“Use the mother.”
“What if she refuses?”
“She won’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
A quiet laugh.
“Because Ethan knows how to make Maya cooperate.”
Maya went completely still.
Cole stopped the audio.
Ethan’s face collapsed.
Maya whispered.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“My name is on the recording.”
“I never heard this file.”
“You carried it in your jacket.”
“I stole it tonight.”
That changed the room.
Cole narrowed his eyes.
“From where?”
“Victor’s office.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew he had opened files on Maya.”
Cole stepped closer.
“When?”
“Three days ago.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I was trying to get proof.”
Maya laughed bitterly.
“You could have called the police.”
“I didn’t know which police belonged to him.”
Cole’s expression tightened.
Ethan looked at him.
“You think Victor survived eleven years by being careless?”
Cole said nothing.
“He has judges.”
“Names.”
“Lawyers.”
“Names.”
“Police.”
“Names, Ethan.”
“Federal contractors.”
Cole slammed his hand onto the table.
“NAMES.”
Ethan stared at him.
Then he said something that made Cole step backward.
“Your former partner.”
Cole’s face changed.
Maya saw it immediately.
“What?”
Ethan looked at him.
“Daniel Reeves.”
Cole stared at Ethan.
Reeves had died eighteen months earlier.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
Ethan continued.
“Daniel didn’t die.”
Cole’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“I went to his funeral.”
“You went to an empty coffin.”
Cole grabbed Ethan by the shirt.
“Where is he?”
Ethan smiled sadly.
“You just heard his voice.”
Cole released him.
Maya looked at the recorder.
The first unknown speaker.
Asset 42 confirmed.
Age?
Six.
Cole pressed play again.
This time he listened differently.
His face slowly drained of color.
May you like
“Daniel.”
Then the phone behind the hallway door rang for the third time.
