Chapter 2 - The Man in the Garage
Madison stared at the security image until the pixels blurred.
“That isn't possible.”
Dominic placed the phone on the table.
“His name is Ryan Hale?”
“Yes.”
“Your older brother?”
“Yes.”
“Then it's possible.”
Madison shook her head.
Ryan had practically raised her.
When their father vanished, Ryan had been fifteen and Madison nine. He had worked after school, repaired neighbors' cars, and once sold his guitar so Madison could attend a school trip.
Ryan could be reckless.
He could be stubborn.
But he wouldn't hurt her.
“He was probably checking on me.”
“At eight forty in the morning?”
“He does that.”
“Without calling?”
Madison looked away.
Dominic noticed.
“He doesn't, does he?”
“No.”
The doctor returned and examined Madison's leg while Dominic quietly issued instructions.
No threats.
No shouting.
Names.
Locations.
Security footage.
Vehicle plates.
Madison listened as the feared man from every whispered Chicago rumor behaved less like a gangster than an investigator.
That unsettled her assumptions.
The doctor determined that Madison had badly bruised her knee but nothing appeared broken.
“You need rest,” he said.
“I need answers.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“Now you sound like me.”
Within an hour, Marco returned with additional footage.
Ryan had entered the garage seven minutes after Madison.
He had spoken briefly with one attacker.
Then disappeared.
Madison felt sick.
“Call him,” Dominic said.
She did.
Ryan didn't answer.
Again.
Voicemail.
A third time.
Nothing.
Then Madison received a text.
RYAN: Don't trust Moretti.
She showed Dominic.
His expression remained unreadable.
Another message arrived.
RYAN: Leave the building alone. Now.
Dominic read it.
“He knows you're here.”
Madison looked toward the windows.
“How?”
“That is an excellent question.”
Her phone rang.
Ryan.
Madison answered immediately.
“Ryan?”
“Are you alone?”
His voice was strained.
“No.”
“Get away from him.”
“Why were you in my parking garage?”
Silence.
“Ryan?”
“Madison, listen to me. You found something you weren't supposed to find.”
Her stomach dropped.
“You knew?”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From whom?”
Ryan breathed heavily.
“Everyone.”
The line disconnected.
Dominic immediately ordered Marco to trace the call.
Madison rounded on him.
“What aren't you telling me?”
Dominic looked at her.
“My father knew the name Vane.”
“Who is he?”
“Not a he.”
Madison frowned.
“VANE was an internal designation.”
“For what?”
“A network of accounts my father created twenty years ago.”
Madison stared.
“For illegal money?”
Dominic didn't answer immediately.
That told her enough.
“My father built his empire in a different Chicago than the one I inherited,” Dominic said. “When I took control, I shut down everything I could find.”
“But you missed VANE.”
“I believed it had already been closed.”
“So someone reopened it.”
“Yes.”
“And Ryan knows about it.”
“Apparently.”
Madison stood near the window, feeling the foundations of her life shifting beneath her.
Her brother.
Her company.
Dominic.
Nothing was what she had believed.
“Why would Ryan be involved?”
“We find him and ask.”
“No.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
“You're not interrogating my brother.”
“I was planning to speak to him.”
“People are terrified of you.”
“That saves time.”
Despite herself, Madison almost smiled.
Dominic noticed.
For one second, the room felt strangely normal.
Then Marco returned.
“We found Crane.”
“Where?”
“His office.”
Madison blinked.
“He's here?”
Marco nodded.
“He says he's been here since seven.”
Dominic's expression sharpened.
“Bring him.”
Elliot Crane entered ten minutes later looking annoyed rather than frightened.
He was fifty-three, silver-haired, polished, and always impeccably dressed.
He had hired Madison.
He had recommended her for promotion.
He had attended her mother's retirement dinner.
“Madison,” he said when he saw her injury. “What happened?”
She watched his eyes.
No surprise.
He already knew.
Dominic saw it too.
“Sit down, Elliot.”
Elliot remained standing.
“What's this about?”
“VANE.”
For half a second, Elliot's face changed.
Then the professional smile returned.
“I don't know what that means.”
Madison felt something inside her break.
Dominic slid a printed transaction across the table.
Elliot barely looked.
“This is Madison's work?”
“Answer the question.”
“I've never seen these transfers.”
Madison spoke.
“You approved three.”
Elliot turned toward her.
There was disappointment in his expression.
It looked almost paternal.
“You've been under enormous stress lately.”
Madison stared at him.
“What?”
“You've made several mistakes.”
“I have not.”
“You came to me weeks ago confused about these accounts. I explained them.”
“You told me they were software errors.”
“Exactly.”
“They weren't.”
Elliot sighed.
Then he looked at Dominic.
“I didn't want to say this, but Madison has been behaving erratically.”
Madison felt heat rise in her face.
Dominic didn't blink.
“Interesting.”
“She may need some time away.”
“Very interesting.”
Elliot shifted.
Dominic placed the damaged handbag strap beside the transaction records.
Elliot looked at it.
Again, just for a fraction of a second.
Recognition.
Dominic saw that too.
“Where were you at eight forty this morning?”
“My office.”
“We'll verify that.”
“Are you accusing me of something?”
Dominic leaned forward.
“No.”
Elliot relaxed slightly.
“I'm giving you an opportunity to accuse yourself.”
Silence.
Madison looked between them.
Elliot stood.
“I don't have to participate in this.”
He turned toward the door.
Dominic didn't stop him.
That surprised Madison.
Elliot reached the door.
Then Dominic said, “Ryan Hale.”
Elliot stopped.
Madison's heart hammered.
Slowly, Elliot looked back.
That was enough.
“You know my brother,” Madison whispered.
Elliot's face hardened.
“Go home, Madison.”
“Answer me.”
“Go home.”
Dominic rose.
Elliot immediately looked at him.
“You inherited your father's worst weakness,” Elliot said.
Dominic's expression remained cold.
“And what weakness was that?”
“He occasionally confused mercy with loyalty.”
Elliot opened the door.
Marco stood outside.
Elliot stopped.
Dominic's phone rang.
Marco's did too.
Then Madison's.
Three phones.
At once.
Madison looked at her screen.
Unknown number.
A photograph had arrived.
Ryan was sitting in a chair inside an unfamiliar room.
His hands were bound.
Someone stood behind him.
Madison enlarged the photograph.
On the wall was a clock.
Below it was a handwritten message.
MIDNIGHT.
BRING THE DRIVE.
COME ALONE.
Then another message appeared.
May you like
This one contained only four words.
ASK DOMINIC ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
