Chapter 6 - The Safe
An hour later, Maya and I rode back with Detective Lewis.
Dad had argued. I had won.
"If the originals prove forgery, I need to identify them," I told him. "And if Julian destroys them, I need to know what else was there."
He had looked at me like he wanted to lock every door in Manhattan.
Instead, he sent Daniel with us.
The penthouse was dark when we arrived.
The office wing had no power. "Julian?" Maya whispered. "Who else?"
We moved down the hallway with flashlights. The office and safe doors stood open. Empty.
I knelt and found only dust, paper fibers, and a strip of red leather.
"He took the binders."
A framed wedding photo lay face down on my desk.
Under it was an envelope.
My name was written on the front in Selene's handwriting.
ELENA - OPEN BEFORE HE FINDS ME.
I tore it open.
Inside was a hotel key card and one sentence.
JULIAN HAS A SECOND SET. ROOM 814. DON'T TRUST RICHARD COLE.
I looked at Detective Lewis.
"The chairman?"
She took the note with gloved fingers. "Maybe. Or this is bait."
My phone rang.
I answered an unknown number on speaker.
Selene's voice came through, breathless.
"You got the note?"
"Where are you?"
"Not safe."
Maya leaned closer. "Why are you helping her now?"
Selene gave a broken laugh. "Because Julian didn't freeze my credit cards. Your father did. Amazing how fast love dies at checkout."
"What second set?" I asked.
"Original invoices. Wire ledgers. A drive. Enough to bury him."
"Why would he keep it?"
"Insurance against Richard."
"You said don't trust Richard Cole. Why?"
Selene went silent.
Then she whispered, "Because Julian isn't the one who invented the scheme."
A door slammed on her end. She gasped.
"Selene?"
May you like
"He found me."
The line went dead.
