Chapter 9 - THE BADGE

The badge belonged to Marco. “That’s impossible,” he said.

“I was with you.”

“Badges can be copied,” Emma said.

“Yes.”

“By who?”

“Anyone with access to our security system.”

Vincent looked at him.

“Who has administrator privileges?”

Marco’s answer was immediate.

“My deputy.”

Nico Bellini.

Marco’s younger cousin.

Anthony Bellini’s son.

Nico disappeared before security reached him.

His apartment was empty, its laptop stripped.

Thomas was moved under guard, and Lily was escorted home. Emma hated how her sister watched every passing car.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Lily said.

“Neither did Dad.”

“I have an exam tomorrow.”

Emma stared at her.

“You’re worried about an exam?”

“I’m trying to have one normal problem.”

Later, Vincent came to the apartment.

Vincent came without a suit and brought groceries.

Emma looked inside the bags.

“You bought six kinds of pasta.”

“I was told people eat pasta.”

“Do billionaires not?”

“Apparently not correctly.”

Thomas watched Vincent carefully.

After Lily went to bed, Thomas said, “Your father was not a good man.”

Vincent nodded.

“I know.”

“He tried sometimes.”

“I know that too.”

Thomas looked at Emma.

“Trying is not the same as doing.”

Then Thomas handed him a small key.

“Carlo gave me this after the fire.”

Vincent frowned.

“To what?”

“I never knew.”

The key bore a number.

117.

Marco called from downstairs.

They had found Nico.

Dead inside his car near the lake.

Police suspected an overdose.

Marco did not.

Neither did Emma.

Then detectives found something in Nico’s pocket.

A receipt from the same hospital where Thomas had been treated.

Time stamp: the morning Thomas vanished.

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On the back, handwritten:

CARTER HAS THE SECOND LEDGER.