Chapter 2 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
No one inside the townhouse moved.
Adrian’s father had been dead for twelve years.
Adrian had stood beside the coffin.
He had watched the priest speak.
He had watched dirt fall onto the lid.
He had watched his mother turn away because she could no longer bear the sound.
Now someone stood outside saying the name Dominic Cross had used when Adrian was a boy.
“Addy.”
Marcus drew his pistol.
Adrian stopped him.
“No.”
“Boss—”
“If he wanted me dead, knocking would be theatrical.”
Marcus looked toward the door.
“Your whole life is theatrical.”
“Fair.”
Emma had gone pale.
“You know that voice?” Adrian asked.
She nodded.
“From Harbridge.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“You heard him?”
“I heard recordings.”
Another knock.
This time the voice said, “I know you’re in there.”
Marcus whispered, “Could be Sloane playing games.”
Adrian walked to the door.
“Open it,” Emma said.
Everyone looked at her.
She gripped the frame harder.
“If he wanted us dead, he had plenty of chances.”
Adrian opened the door.
An old man stood beneath the porch light.
Seventy, perhaps older.
Gray hair cut short.
Dark raincoat.
Cane in one hand.
No weapon visible.
Adrian knew him instantly.
Not because he had seen him recently.
Because there had been a photograph on his father’s desk for most of Adrian’s childhood.
Dominic Cross and this man, twenty years younger, standing beside a cargo truck with their sleeves rolled up.
Samuel Voss.
Dominic’s accountant.
Missing since the week before Dominic died.
Presumed dead.
Adrian stared.
“You.”
Voss gave a tired smile.
“You got taller.”
Marcus lifted his weapon.
“Inside.”
Voss looked at him.
“You must be Marcus Vale.”
“How do you know me?”
“I’ve spent twelve years knowing everyone around Adrian.”
That earned silence.
Adrian stepped aside.
Voss entered.
Dr. Lin protested immediately.
“This is a medical safe house.”
Voss nodded politely.
“And you’re Mei Lin. You stitched Dominic’s hand after the Fulton warehouse fire.”
Lin stopped.
“That was twenty-three years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone who should have died before your patient was attacked.”
Emma moved toward a chair.
Adrian helped her sit.
Voss noticed.
His expression softened.
“I’m sorry, Miss Bennett.”
Emma stared at him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“You knew someone was following me.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me walk into Harbridge.”
“I tried to stop you.”
“You sent anonymous emails.”
“They weren’t persuasive enough.”
“No,” Emma said. “They weren’t.”
Adrian’s voice cut through the room.
“Start talking.”
Voss sat.
“No coffee?”
Marcus almost laughed from disbelief.
Adrian did not.
Voss sighed.
“Still no patience.”
“Samuel.”
The old man’s expression changed.
There was something almost paternal in it.
Then it disappeared.
“Your father didn’t die of a heart attack.”
Adrian had expected the sentence for twelve years.
Hearing it still felt like being struck.
“Proof?”
Voss looked at Emma.
“She found some of it.”
Adrian turned.
Emma lowered her eyes.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“When I knew I wasn’t handing you a conspiracy theory.”
Voss nodded approvingly.
“She’s good.”
“Don’t compliment her.”
Voss raised both hands.
“Your father discovered a partnership operating through municipal redevelopment contracts.”
“What partnership?”
“Politicians. Police. Developers. Organized crime.”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
Marcus looked equally lost.
Voss continued.
“They called it the Meridian Group.”
Adrian had never heard the name.
“Victor Sloane?”
“Member.”
“Daniel Mercer?”
“Member.”
“Who else?”
Voss’s gaze sharpened.
“That is why Emma was attacked.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“You came here to tell me.”
“I came here because Meridian is preparing to erase itself.”
“Why?”
“Because Emma found the ledger.”
Marcus frowned.
“What ledger?”
“The record your father kept.”
Voss looked at Adrian.
“Dominic did many terrible things. I won’t romanticize him because he’s dead. But he had limits.”
Adrian said nothing.
“Meridian did not.”
Voss’s voice hardened.
“They bought judges. Destroyed witnesses. Laundered development money through fake demolitions. They displaced families from entire blocks so investors could buy the land cheap.”
Adrian’s face remained unreadable.
“And my father joined them.”
“At first.”
Emma looked at Adrian.
Voss continued.
“Then Dominic learned they were planning to expand into human trafficking through the port.”
Adrian’s hand tightened on the table.
“My father prohibited that.”
“Yes.”
“Then why was he involved?”
“He wanted influence. Contracts. Money. He believed he could control the group.”
Adrian gave a humorless smile.
“That sounds like him.”
“He was wrong.”
Voss lowered his gaze.
“When he tried to leave, they gave him a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Stay or lose everything.”
“He chose to leave.”
“He chose to expose them.”
Adrian’s breath slowed.
“And then he died.”
“Yes.”
“Who killed him?”
Voss looked toward the window.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian stood so quickly the chair moved backward.
“Wrong answer.”
“I know who ordered it.”
“Who?”
Voss looked at Emma.
She closed her eyes.
Adrian noticed.
“You know too.”
Emma whispered, “I found the payment authorization.”
“Name.”
Voss said, “Daniel Mercer.”
For the first time that morning, Adrian lost control of his face.
Not much.
A twitch near the eye.
A breath held too long.
Mercer had been there after Dominic died.
He had hugged Adrian’s mother.
He had told Adrian, “Your father believed in you.”
He had helped Adrian win legitimate city bids.
Every Christmas he sent wine.
Every election, Adrian quietly supported him.
Marcus cursed.
Adrian walked to the window.
“Where’s the ledger?”
Voss did not answer.
“Samuel.”
“Emma had it.”
Adrian turned.
Emma shook her head.
“I had part of it.”
“Explain.”
“Harbridge unit 417 contained files. Most had been destroyed years ago. But someone missed a false wall behind the storage racks.”
Adrian glanced at Voss.
“You knew.”
“I built it.”
Emma continued.
“There was a microfilm archive, old invoices, photographs, account codes.”
“Where are they?”
“I copied what I could.”
“And?”
“They took my laptop.”
Marcus swore again.
Adrian asked, “Backups?”
Emma looked offended despite her condition.
“You hired me.”
That was answer enough.
“Where?”
Emma hesitated.
Adrian noticed.
“Why are you hesitating?”
“Because I don’t know who in this room is compromised.”
Marcus stiffened.
Voss looked amused.
Adrian said, “Neither do I.”
Emma met his eyes.
“Then don’t ask me to say it out loud.”
A silence followed.
Adrian nodded.
Smart.
Painful, but smart.
Voss leaned on his cane.
“Meridian knows she copied the files. They don’t know where she put them.”
“Why leave her alive?”
“To find out.”
Emma’s face tightened.
“They kept asking for a password.”
“What password?”
“I didn’t give them one.”
“Did you have one?”
“Yes.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“Of course you did.”
“I told them it was your birthday.”
“What happened?”
“They tried it.”
Marcus smirked.
“And?”
“My password has never been his birthday.”
Adrian looked mildly offended.
“Good.”
For a moment, the room felt almost normal.
Then Emma whispered, “They showed me photographs.”
The humor vanished.
“What photographs?” Adrian asked.
“People around you.”
“Who?”
“Marcus. Dr. Lin. Your mother.”
Adrian went still.
“My mother?”
“They know where she lives.”
Adrian pulled out his phone.
“Move her.”
Marcus was already calling.
Emma said, “Adrian, wait.”
He ignored her.
“Put ten men at my mother’s house.”
“No,” Emma said.
Adrian looked at her.
“If Meridian is watching your response, moving her confirms we know.”
“I don’t care.”
“She might be safer if nothing changes.”
“She’s my mother.”
“And that is exactly why they showed me her picture.”
Voss nodded.
“She’s right.”
Adrian’s glare could have stopped traffic.
Voss did not flinch.
“You shut down your operations,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“Because half the city is already talking about it.”
“It was necessary.”
“It was brilliant.”
Adrian frowned.
Voss continued.
“Meridian expected retaliation against Sloane. They expected blood. Instead you stopped everything.”
“So?”
“So now they’re nervous.”
Marcus returned from the call.
“Your mother is fine. Two men already nearby.”
Adrian nodded.
“Keep it invisible.”
Marcus paused.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“Victor Sloane just called.”
Everyone looked at him.
“He wants to meet.”
Adrian laughed once.
“Of course he does.”
“Says he had nothing to do with Emma.”
“Where?”
“St. Gabriel’s Church.”
Voss stiffened.
Adrian noticed.
“What?”
“That was Dominic’s meeting site.”
“With Sloane?”
“With Meridian.”
Adrian looked at the clock.
5:46 a.m.
Sunrise was thirty-one minutes away.
“Tell Sloane I’ll be there.”
Emma pushed herself upright.
“No.”
Adrian turned.
“You’re staying here.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“Don’t go alone.”
“I won’t.”
“No.” Emma’s voice strengthened. “I mean don’t go there believing Sloane is the enemy.”
Adrian stared.
“He left you beside his car.”
“Someone left me beside his car.”
“Convenient distinction.”
“It matters.”
“Why?”
Emma hesitated.
Voss answered for her.
“Because Sloane has been trying to leave Meridian for six months.”
Marcus looked stunned.
“You’re telling us the biggest rival in the city wants out?”
“Yes.”
“And you trust him?”
“No.”
Adrian reached for his coat.
“Good. Neither do I.”
Before leaving, he crouched beside Emma.
“Two minutes.”
“What?”
“You have two minutes to tell me what you aren’t saying.”
She looked toward Marcus, Voss, Lin.
Adrian understood.
“Room.”
Everyone left.
He closed the door.
Emma whispered, “They asked me about you.”
“Obviously.”
“No. Not business.”
Adrian frowned.
“What then?”
“Your habits. Your reactions. Who you protect.”
“And?”
“They wanted to know what would make you start a war.”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
Emma continued.
“I think the attack was designed for you, not me.”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t.”
She reached into the pocket of her torn trousers.
Adrian immediately stopped her.
“What are you doing?”
“I hid something.”
She pulled out a tiny folded strip of paper.
“How did they miss that?”
“They searched my jacket, bag, shoes.”
“Not the lining of your waistband.”
“Apparently modesty survived organized crime.”
He took the paper.
A handwritten list of initials.
D.M.
V.S.
R.H.
N.P.
Adrian’s eyes stopped.
N.P.
Nolan Price.
His security coordinator.
The man who had hesitated before surrendering his phone.
“What is this?”
“Names in the payment ledger.”
“Nolan?”
“I don’t know. Initials only.”
Adrian folded the paper.
“You said don’t trust anyone.”
“I meant it.”
He opened the door.
Nolan stood at the end of the hall.
Waiting.
“Boss?”
Adrian stared at him.
Then looked at Marcus.
“Take everyone except Nolan outside.”
Nolan’s face changed.
Just slightly.
Emma saw it.
So did Adrian.
Marcus did not question the order.
Within thirty seconds, the hallway emptied.
Adrian faced Nolan.
“You’re coming with me.”
“To Sloane?”
“Yes.”
Nolan nodded.
Adrian walked past him.
Behind Adrian, Nolan slowly slipped his hand inside his jacket.
Emma saw the movement through the bedroom doorway.
Her breath caught.
“Adrian!”
Nolan pulled something from inside his coat.
May you like
Marcus turned from the front door.
And Adrian realized too late that Nolan was not reaching for his phone.
