Chapter 2 - The Name My Mother Hadn't Spoken in Four YearsMy father was the one subject Mom never discussed.
Not because she hated him.
Because she was afraid.
His name was Daniel Carter.
I had a photograph of him hidden beneath my pillow.
Mom thought I didn't know.
I did.
He had dark hair, tired eyes, and the same crooked smile I had.
Every birthday, I asked the same question.
“Is Daddy coming home?”
Mom always answered:
“I don't know, sweetheart.”
But now Vincent Kane had asked about him.
That frightened her.
Vincent placed the document on the table.
“Where did you get this?”
Mom stared at it.
“I didn't.”
“It's your husband's signature.”
She shook her head.
“Daniel disappeared four years ago.”
Vincent studied her.
“Did he disappear?”
Mom said nothing.
David Sterling suddenly interrupted.
“This is irrelevant.”
Vincent turned.
“Did I ask you?”
David stopped talking.
Vincent looked at Mom again.
“Your husband worked for me.”
Mom's eyes widened.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I would have known.”
“He wasn't supposed to tell you.”
Mom stood slowly.
“What did he do?”
Vincent's expression remained unreadable.
“He handled financial records.”
Mom's lips trembled.
“Why didn't you find him?”
“I thought he was dead.”
The room seemed to shrink.
I looked at Mom.
She was crying.
Then she whispered:
“So did I.”
Vincent stared at her.
“Then why did Sterling have documents bearing his signature?”
Mom didn't answer.
Because she didn't know.
But I did.
I remembered something.
Three months earlier, Mom had received a strange envelope.
She had hidden it beneath the sink.
I had seen her burn it.
At the time, I thought she was scared of a bill.
Now I wasn't so sure.
Vincent asked:
“Lydia, what did your husband leave behind?”
“Nothing.”
“That isn't true.”
Mom looked at him.
Then she looked at me.
Her expression broke.
“Rory.”
“Yes?”
“Go wait in the car.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She blinked.
“I need to talk to Mr. Kane.”
“I can stay.”
“Rory.”
Vincent raised a hand.
“Let her stay.”
Mom stared at him.
“She doesn't need to hear this.”
Vincent looked at me.
“She already heard enough to walk past seven armed men.”
One of the guards coughed.
“Actually, six.”
I immediately corrected him.
“Seven.”
Vincent looked amused.
Then serious again.
“Lydia, your husband may have left something behind.”
Mom closed her eyes.
“I don't know where it is.”
Vincent's voice softened.
“Then we'll find it.”
David Sterling suddenly reached for his phone.
Vincent noticed.
“Put it down.”
David froze.
“I was only—”
“Put it down.”
David obeyed.
Vincent turned to his lieutenant.
“Lock the building.”
The guards moved immediately.
Doors closed.
The restaurant fell silent.
I didn't understand why.
Then Vincent looked at David.
“Because now I believe your seventy-seven-day payroll fraud is only the smallest piece of this.”
David's face changed.
“What are you accusing me of?”
Vincent smiled without warmth.
“Nothing yet.”
May you like
He picked up the document.
“But I will.”
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