Chapter 3 - The Woman at the End of the Table
Victoria Russo was waiting when Elena entered Nico’s townhouse.
Same gold signet ring.
Same unreadable expression from the museum.
“So,” Victoria said, “you’re Elena Ward.”
Elena removed her wet coat.
“And you’re the reason Nico knew where I was.”
Victoria smiled.
“You caused quite a scene.”
“They stole my work.”
“I wasn’t talking about the award.”
Nico placed the shipping label on the table.
Victoria’s smile disappeared.
“Where?”
“St. Agnes,” Nico said.
She studied it.
“Evelyn Shaw.”
Elena folded her arms.
“You know her?”
Victoria looked at Nico.
“Tell her.”
Nico remained silent.
Victoria answered instead.
“Three years ago, Meridian approached companies that controlled warehouse space near the ports. They wanted temporary storage during disasters.”
“Including Russo properties?” Elena asked.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“We refused.”
“Why?”
“Because their manifests didn’t match their cargo.”
Elena understood.
“That’s why Adrien framed me for sending files to Nico.”
Victoria nodded.
“He needed a story explaining why Russo knew about Blue Line.”
Nico placed a laptop in front of Elena.
“We recovered part of your deleted account history.”
Elena opened the logs.
Her security token had been used at 4:03 p.m.
She had been with Adrien then.
She remembered.
He had kissed her in the kitchen.
Then asked to borrow her token because his authentication app was “acting up.”
Her jaw tightened.
“He used me.”
Nico watched her.
“We need proof, not anger.”
“I know.”
“You sure?”
Elena looked up.
“I spent four years building a logistics network. Anger doesn’t move freight. Information does.”
Nico nodded.
“Good answer.”
They worked until midnight.
Then Elena found it.
Route 47B wasn’t unique.
Seven shipments had impossible travel times.
Nineteen minutes.
Twenty-two.
Sixteen.
Thirty-one.
Every one passed through disaster zones.
Every one contained sealed nonmedical cargo.
Every one connected to procurement offices controlled by Commissioner Shaw.
Nico leaned over the screen.
“What are they moving?”
Elena zoomed into payment records.
“Not what.”
She looked at him.
“Money.”
The medical shipments were cover.
Meridian billed the state for emergency cargo that never existed, then routed public disaster funds through shell logistics companies.
Millions.
Possibly tens of millions.
The stolen money had been disguised inside legitimate medical operations.
Then Nico’s phone rang.
His face changed.
“What?”
Silence.
“Where?”
He ended the call.
Elena stood.
“Tessa?”
“They found her car.”
“Where is she?”
“Gone.”
Elena’s phone rang seconds later.
Adrien.
She answered.
“Elena.”
His voice sounded almost gentle.
“Where’s Tessa?”
“You always were too impatient.”
“Where is she?”
“Come home.”
“That stopped being my home when you used my security token.”
Silence.
Then Adrien laughed softly.
“So you figured that out.”
“You’re finished.”
“No. You’re frightened.”
“I’m angry.”
“Same thing with you.”
Nico reached for the phone.
Elena stopped him.
“Adrien, if Tessa gets hurt—”
“She’s alive.”
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
“Proof.”
A video arrived.
Tessa sat inside a warehouse office.
Terrified.
Alive.
Adrien returned to the call.
“Bring the Route 47B logger tomorrow. Pier 16. Ten a.m.”
“We don’t have it.”
“Then find Pike.”
The call ended.
Nico looked at Elena.
“You’re not going.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“She worked for me.”
“She worked for Meridian.”
“She trusted me.”
“Elena—”
“She whispered the truth to me when everyone else was watching me get destroyed. I’m going.”
Victoria looked at her son.
“She sounds familiar.”
Nico frowned.
“Mother.”
“You’ve made the same argument.”
Nico stared at Elena.
Finally he said, “Fine.”
Elena nodded.
“But we do it my way.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“Last time you did it your way, twelve SUVs appeared.”
“And you’re alive.”
“Good point.”
Nico walked toward the door.
Elena called after him.
“Where are you going?”
“To find Owen Pike.”
“And if he won’t talk?”
May you like
Nico turned.
“He’ll talk.”
