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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The sound of Dominic Vale\u2019s cane striking the marble floor carried through the great room like a gunshot.<\/p>\n
One hard tap.<\/p>\n
Then silence.<\/p>\n
Six men waiting behind the glass doors of the conference room turned at once.<\/p>\n
Vincent Hale, Dominic\u2019s head of security, reacted faster than anyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey. Don\u2019t touch him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare Rowan spun around from the linen cart, and the color drained from her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie!\u201d<\/p>\n
But her four-year-old daughter didn\u2019t seem to understand why every adult in the room had suddenly stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Ellie remained on her knees beside Dominic Vale\u2019s injured left leg, one tiny hand resting against the lowest black strap of the orthopedic brace partly hidden beneath his trousers.<\/p>\n
Rain whispered against the tall windows overlooking Lake Michigan.<\/p>\n
Clare had been folding towels for the upstairs guest rooms. Ellie was supposed to remain beside the cart with the little wooden latch toy she carried everywhere.<\/p>\n
But Ellie loved mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Buckles.<\/p>\n
Hooks.<\/p>\n
Buttons.<\/p>\n
Anything that clicked.<\/p>\n
And Dominic Vale\u2019s brace had several of them.<\/p>\n
Clare hurried across the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Vale. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached for Ellie.<\/p>\n
Dominic lifted one hand.<\/p>\n
Clare froze.<\/p>\n
At forty-three, Dominic had mastered the art of making people obey without raising his voice. He had built legitimate construction companies, restaurants, shipping interests, and real estate holdings across Chicago, but there were older stories attached to the Vale name\u2014stories respectable businessmen preferred not to discuss.<\/p>\n
Dominic rarely threatened anyone.<\/p>\n
He rarely needed to.<\/p>\n
That made Clare even more frightened.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at the little girl.<\/p>\n
Ellie had moved halfway behind her mother\u2019s skirt, but she was still staring at his brace.<\/p>\n
Not at Vincent.<\/p>\n
Not at the security guard near the conference room.<\/p>\n
Not at Dominic\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
At the brace.<\/p>\n
Dominic shifted his leg.<\/p>\n
Pain immediately shot from beneath his knee down the outside of his calf.<\/p>\n
Eleven weeks earlier, a crash on Lower Wacker Drive had fractured his knee, damaged ligaments, and irritated nerves surrounding the injury. Surgery had gone well.<\/p>\n
At least, that was what everyone kept telling him.<\/p>\n
But something had changed.<\/p>\n
Three weeks earlier, Dominic had been walking fifty feet during rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
Now he could barely cross the great room without his cane.<\/p>\n
His doctors called it a setback.<\/p>\n
Arthur Voss called it something else.<\/p>\n
Proof.<\/p>\n
Proof that Dominic was physically incapable of continuing to control the Vale organization.<\/p>\n
Behind the glass doors, six senior members of the organization waited around a walnut conference table. Documents had already been prepared.<\/p>\n
Temporary authority.<\/p>\n
That was the polite phrase.<\/p>\n
Dominic knew better.<\/p>\n
Once he signed those papers, Arthur Voss would have everything he had wanted for fifteen years.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked down at Ellie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare shook her head immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing. She\u2019s tired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare closed her mouth.<\/p>\n
Vincent stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoss, the council is waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
Dominic never delayed council meetings.<\/p>\n
Ellie squeezed the hem of her mother\u2019s uniform.<\/p>\n
Dominic softened his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shiny part.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic followed her finger.<\/p>\n
A small silver tab was visible beneath the lowest strap.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Dominic glanced at Clare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does she mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie looked at her mother.<\/p>\n
Then back at Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy toy has one.\u201d<\/p>\n
She lifted the wooden latch board.<\/p>\n
One of the little mechanisms had a metal clasp.<\/p>\n
Ellie touched it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis goes outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she pointed at Dominic\u2019s brace.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat one is inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic stared at the brace.<\/p>\n
Dr. Samuel Mercer, who had been standing near the rehabilitation doorway, finally approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent immediately moved between him and Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cSlowly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m his physician.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m his security.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic waved Vincent aside.<\/p>\n
Mercer crouched.<\/p>\n
He touched the lower strap.<\/p>\n
His fingers stopped.<\/p>\n
Something changed in his face.<\/p>\n
It was subtle.<\/p>\n
But Dominic saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor carefully loosened the strap.<\/p>\n
Dominic felt immediate pressure release from his calf.<\/p>\n
He inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n
Mercer stared at the mechanism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s strange.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s eyes hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s strange?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis retaining plate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer touched the small metal component.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s reversed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare\u2019s hand tightened around Ellie\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at the doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould that happen naturally?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer took too long to answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became very quiet.<\/p>\n
Dominic leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would it do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf tightened in this position, it could create uneven pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeaning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPain. Swelling. Nerve irritation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd difficulty walking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer landed harder than any accusation.<\/p>\n
For three weeks Dominic had been told his worsening condition was part of recovery.<\/p>\n
For three weeks Arthur had quietly questioned his ability to lead.<\/p>\n
And tonight, the council had gathered to vote.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked through the glass doors.<\/p>\n
Arthur Voss was watching.<\/p>\n
He smiled when their eyes met.<\/p>\n
Dominic turned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was this brace last inspected?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy rehabilitation staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNames.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNames.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngela Pierce handled the initial session. One of the technicians may have adjusted it afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMay have?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t personally watch every adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s voice remained quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur opened the conference room door.<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
Arthur stepped into the great room.<\/p>\n
He was sixty, silver-haired, elegant, and patient in the way dangerous men often were.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe council has been waiting twenty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic studied him.<\/p>\n
Arthur glanced at the brace.<\/p>\n
Then at Ellie.<\/p>\n
His smile remained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA child found something my doctors missed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cA child?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie hid behind Clare.<\/p>\n
Dominic noticed something.<\/p>\n
Arthur hadn\u2019t asked what she found.<\/p>\n
He had asked what happened.<\/p>\n
Perhaps meaningless.<\/p>\n
Perhaps not.<\/p>\n
\u201cVincent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLock the estate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
The six men behind the glass doors stood.<\/p>\n
Vincent stared at Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cFull lockdown?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFull.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic, that seems excessive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t told you what we found.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stopped.<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
Dominic slowly rose.<\/p>\n
Mercer immediately reached toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic put weight on his left leg.<\/p>\n
Pain came\u2014but not as sharply as before.<\/p>\n
He took one step.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
Everyone watched.<\/p>\n
For the first time in days, the crushing pressure beneath his calf had eased.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked down at Ellie.<\/p>\n
The little girl watched his leg carefully.<\/p>\n
He took a third step.<\/p>\n
Clare covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s expression became colder with each movement.<\/p>\n
Arthur said nothing.<\/p>\n
Dominic stopped directly in front of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vote is postponed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn what grounds?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t postpone indefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI only need tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur looked toward the other council members.<\/p>\n
Then back at Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re making a serious accusation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t made one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou locked the doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI lock my own doors whenever I want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur gave a small smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
He returned to the conference room.<\/p>\n
Dominic watched him leave.<\/p>\n
Then he turned to Vincent.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery security recording covering the rehabilitation wing for the last month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMake copies first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent understood immediately.<\/p>\n
Dominic trusted him more than almost anyone alive.<\/p>\n
But tonight, trust itself had become evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Vincent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody knows what the girl noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent glanced toward Ellie.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at Clare.<\/p>\n
She was trembling.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and Ellie are staying here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare\u2019s fear returned instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, please. She didn\u2019t mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic lowered himself until he was closer to Ellie\u2019s height.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou like figuring out how things work?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie nodded.<\/p>\n
Dominic pointed toward the brace.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you touch anything besides that strap?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see somebody touch it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare inhaled.<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s eyes moved toward the rehabilitation hallway.<\/p>\n
For the first time, uncertainty appeared on her face.<\/p>\n
Dominic noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie?\u201d<\/p>\n
She whispered something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent stepped closer.<\/p>\n
Clare stared at her daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat man, sweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie pointed toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man who came when you were getting towels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie touched her latch toy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe clicked it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent immediately reached for his phone.<\/p>\n
Dominic stopped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at Ellie again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the man look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie thought.<\/p>\n
Then she pointed through the glass doors.<\/p>\n
Not toward the doctor.<\/p>\n
Not toward a guard.<\/p>\n
Toward the council room.<\/p>\n
Every man inside became still.<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s small finger moved across the glass.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
Directly on Arthur Voss.<\/p>\n
Clare whispered, \u201cOh, God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic said nothing.<\/p>\n
Arthur stared back through the glass.<\/p>\n
And slowly, very slowly, the older man\u2019s patient smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
The little girl had found a backward strap.<\/p>\n
Now Dominic needed to discover whether it had been an accident\u2014or the first visible piece of a plan designed to destroy him.<\/p>\n
And before midnight, he would learn that the brace was only the beginning.<\/p>\n
Vincent found the first problem with the security footage at 8:43 p.m.<\/p>\n
Eleven minutes were missing.<\/p>\n
Dominic sat behind the desk in his private study while three monitors displayed camera feeds from the rehabilitation wing.<\/p>\n
Clare and Ellie were upstairs in a guest suite with two female staff members Dominic trusted. Clare had protested until Dominic explained that whoever had tampered with his brace might realize Ellie had seen something.<\/p>\n
That ended the argument.<\/p>\n
Vincent stood beside the monitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cCamera twelve runs continuously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent tapped the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201c4:16 p.m. to 4:27 p.m. Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSystem failure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOther cameras stayed online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic leaned back.<\/p>\n
His leg felt different.<\/p>\n
Not healed.<\/p>\n
Not painless.<\/p>\n
But different.<\/p>\n
For weeks he had assumed every new ache meant his body was failing him.<\/p>\n
Now he wondered how much of that suffering had been manufactured.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mercer stood near the fireplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want imaging done tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the brace has repeatedly compressed the nerve, I need to know whether there\u2019s additional damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRepeatedly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer hesitated.<\/p>\n
Dominic caught it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think this happened more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we should consider the possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many people have access to the brace?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic. Myself. Two physical therapists. Three rehabilitation technicians.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Arthur Voss?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo medical reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rehabilitation wing isn\u2019t restricted from senior household guests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
Arthur.<\/p>\n
He ignored it.<\/p>\n
A second message arrived.<\/p>\n
Then a third.<\/p>\n
Vincent glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s he saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic read the screen.<\/p>\n
Council members are leaving.<\/p>\n
You are making yourself look unstable.<\/p>\n
Call me before this becomes embarrassing.<\/p>\n
Dominic placed the phone facedown.<\/p>\n
\u201cPull access records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a knock.<\/p>\n
One of Vincent\u2019s security officers entered carrying a small plastic evidence bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cFound this behind the rehabilitation cabinet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside was a tiny screwdriver.<\/p>\n
Mercer frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at Vincent.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrints?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll handle it properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another knock.<\/p>\n
This time Clare stood in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic motioned her inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie won\u2019t sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s understandable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says she needs to tell you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at Vincent.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minutes later Ellie entered wearing borrowed pajamas, clutching her wooden latch board.<\/p>\n
She climbed onto the sofa beside her mother.<\/p>\n
Dominic remained behind the desk to avoid intimidating her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie stared at her toy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man wasn\u2019t alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA lady.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat lady?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite shoes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had squeaky ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer went still.<\/p>\n
Dominic noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho wears them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf the rehabilitation staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent crouched several feet from Ellie.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you remember anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said he shouldn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the man say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie squeezed the toy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She struggled to remember.<\/p>\n
Clare rubbed her back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie finally whispered, \u201cJust enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Dominic felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust enough for what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent stood.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind the woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
At 9:17, Vincent returned with personnel photographs.<\/p>\n
Ellie examined them one at a time.<\/p>\n
She rejected the first.<\/p>\n
Then the second.<\/p>\n
At the fifth photograph, she stopped.<\/p>\n
Angela Pierce.<\/p>\n
Physical therapist.<\/p>\n
Thirty-four.<\/p>\n
Employed eight months.<\/p>\n
Ellie touched the photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cSqueaky shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer cursed quietly.<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe left at five.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent was already making the call.<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
A security team drove to Angela\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
Her car remained in the parking garage.<\/p>\n
Her phone was on the kitchen counter<\/p>\n
Her purse was inside.<\/p>\n
But Angela was gone.<\/p>\n
At 10:02, Vincent uncovered something else.<\/p>\n
Arthur Voss had entered the rehabilitation wing yesterday at 4:14 p.m.<\/p>\n
He left at 4:31.<\/p>\n
Exactly across the missing footage.<\/p>\n
Dominic stared at the access log.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur knows these records exist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo either he doesn\u2019t care\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr he thought they\u2019d be erased too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked toward the rain-dark windows.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho controls security archives?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy department.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho besides you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour supervisors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestigate all four.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent didn\u2019t object.<\/p>\n
That was why Dominic trusted him.<\/p>\n
A weaker man would have taken the order personally.<\/p>\n
At 10:30, Dominic called Arthur.<\/p>\n
Arthur answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome back.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen leave home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted a vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur became quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re feeling better?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be there in thirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call ended.<\/p>\n
Vincent stared at Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re bringing him here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see his face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twenty-eight minutes later Arthur walked into the study.<\/p>\n
He wore the same gray suit.<\/p>\n
No coat despite the rain.<\/p>\n
He saw Mercer.<\/p>\n
Then Vincent.<\/p>\n
Then Dominic\u2019s brace.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve turned this into quite a production.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic gestured toward a chair.<\/p>\n
Arthur sat.<\/p>\n
Dominic placed the access log on the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou visited rehabilitation yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI discovered that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do for seventeen minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this an interrogation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSounds like one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn interrogation would have more people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s smile faded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to Angela.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause tomorrow\u2019s vote depended on your condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday\u2019s vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur corrected himself immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday\u2019s scheduled vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you touch my brace?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Angela?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a physical therapist. I assume she touches braces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow would I know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic studied him.<\/p>\n
Arthur was good.<\/p>\n
Too good.<\/p>\n
Then Ellie appeared at the doorway.<\/p>\n
Clare was behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Clare whispered. \u201cShe heard voices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur turned.<\/p>\n
For half a second, something crossed his face.<\/p>\n
Recognition.<\/p>\n
Ellie saw him.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed too.<\/p>\n
She moved behind Clare.<\/p>\n
Arthur recovered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that the child?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic watched him carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat child?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one who caused all this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, too much knowledge.<\/p>\n
Dominic had never told Arthur that Ellie discovered the problem.<\/p>\n
Arthur realized his mistake.<\/p>\n
Vincent realized it too.<\/p>\n
The room became silent.<\/p>\n
Arthur stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is absurd.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic remained seated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to trust a four-year-old over me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI trust evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have none.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic tapped the access log.<\/p>\n
Arthur laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI visited a room in a house I\u2019ve entered for twenty years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring eleven minutes of deleted security footage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
Only slightly.<\/p>\n
But enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know anything about deleted footage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never said it was deleted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stared at him.<\/p>\n
Dominic stood carefully.<\/p>\n
For once, the brace didn\u2019t bite into his calf.<\/p>\n
He stepped around the desk.<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s eyes dropped toward his leg.<\/p>\n
Dominic saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic walked another step.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
Arthur backed toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow morning,\u201d Dominic said, \u201cwe\u2019re going to hold your vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur smiled again.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut first, every member of the council will see the medical report.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat report?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one explaining why my condition suddenly worsened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s smile vanished.<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
He answered.<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
He listened.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep everyone away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at him.<\/p>\n
Vincent ended the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found Angela.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth garage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n
Dominic noticed.<\/p>\n
Vincent continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer moved immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cCondition?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScared. Dehydrated. No serious visible injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent stared directly at Arthur.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocked inside a maintenance room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stood perfectly still.<\/p>\n
Dominic stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cInteresting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I did that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Angela can tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s phone rang again.<\/p>\n
He answered.<\/p>\n
This time he listened longer.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at Dominic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngela keeps saying she didn\u2019t reverse the brace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur exhaled almost imperceptibly.<\/p>\n
But Vincent wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says someone forced her to give them access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at Arthur.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s expression darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe won\u2019t say over the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she says the person who did it has access to every room in this house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic felt the meaning immediately.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t merely an attack from Arthur\u2019s faction.<\/p>\n
Someone inside Dominic\u2019s home had helped them.<\/p>\n
Someone trusted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Someone close enough to walk through locked doors without raising suspicion.<\/p>\n
And upstairs, four-year-old Ellie Rowan was sleeping beneath the same roof.<\/p>\n