Chapter 13 - The Key
The key opened a safe Nicholas had not seen since childhood.
It belonged to his father's old union office near the river.
The same building named in the ransom message.
"Rebecca is telling us where the ledger is," Nicholas said.
Walter disagreed.
"Or she's telling Carlo."
Nicholas looked at him.
"She held the key where the camera could see it."
Hannah studied the photograph.
"She knew we'd zoom in."
They went to the terminal early, entering through an old freight tunnel Walter remembered from the 1990s.
The underground office smelled of rust and wet concrete.
Behind a steel cabinet, Nicholas found the wall safe.
The key fit.
Inside sat one black ledger.
It held names, dates, payments, favors, and crimes in his father's handwriting.
Nicholas opened to the final pages.
Carlo Valenti appeared dozens of times.
So did Adrian Feldman.
So did Martin Kessler.
And then Nicholas found Michael Reed.
Hannah's father.
Beside his name was one sentence:
SAW GIRL. REFUSED PAYMENT. REMOVE RISK.
Hannah went still. Nicholas closed the book. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "Help me finish this."
Footsteps echoed above them.
Vincent whispered into his radio.
"Positions."
The terminal lights snapped on.
A voice came through the old speaker system.
"Nicholas. Bring the ledger upstairs."
Carlo.
Nicholas had not heard his uncle's voice in years.
"Show me Rebecca and Ethan."
A camera feed appeared on a dusty monitor.
Rebecca and Ethan sat tied to chairs inside the main terminal hall.
Claire stood behind them.
Hannah stared.
"She's helping him."
Nicholas watched Claire's face.
"No."
"Nicholas-"
"Look at her left hand."
Claire was tapping two fingers against her thigh.
Pause.
Two taps.
Pause.
Two taps.
The same distress signal Nicholas's security team used inside noisy rooms.
Claire was not standing with Carlo willingly.
May you like
She was warning them.
And the warning meant Carlo already knew they had entered through the tunnel.
