Chapter 3 - The Security Footage Luca Didn’t Want Me to See
“Liam was a firefighter.”
My voice shook.
“He wasn’t involved in whatever world you live in.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“You said he saw something.”
Luca nodded.
“The first fire crew entered through the east loading bay. Your husband was among them.”
“How do you know that?”
“We recovered private security recordings the police never received.”
My anger returned.
“You withheld evidence?”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Rachel—”
“No. He can answer.”
Luca did.
“The warehouse security system was compromised before the fire. Somebody removed most of the drives. We found one backup afterward.”
“And you kept it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the footage included the faces of people who would kill for it.”
I stared at him.
“And Liam?”
“He appeared on the recording.”
My knees felt weak.
“Show me.”
“Rachel—”
“Show me.”
Luca studied me for several seconds.
Then nodded.
Daniel brought up an archived file.
The footage was grainy.
Smoke poured through a warehouse corridor.
Firefighters rushed past.
Then I saw him.
Liam.
His helmet.
His jacket.
Even through the poor image, I recognized the way he moved.
I covered my mouth.
He stopped beside an office door.
A man stumbled out.
Liam caught him.
They exchanged words the camera couldn’t hear.
Then the stranger pushed something into Liam’s gloved hand.
A small metal object.
“What is that?”
Luca paused the recording.
“A data key.”
“Like a flash drive?”
“Encrypted storage.”
“What was on it?”
“We never found it.”
The footage continued.
Liam shoved the object inside his turnout coat.
Then flames erupted at the far end of the corridor.
The screen filled with smoke.
The footage ended.
I couldn’t look away.
“That was the last time anyone saw him alive?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“They found his body.”
Daniel looked down.
Something was wrong.
I turned.
“What?”
Nobody answered.
“What are you not telling me?”
Luca spoke carefully.
“Your husband’s body was found forty feet from that office.”
“So?”
“The storage key wasn’t on him.”
“Maybe it melted.”
“It was designed to survive fire.”
“Then someone took it.”
“That was our conclusion.”
“Who?”
“We never knew.”
I thought about the note.
LIAM CARTER SHOULD HAVE STAYED DEAD.
A terrible thought came to me.
“Do you think Liam survived?”
“No.”
The answer was firm.
“Then why write ‘stayed dead’?”
Luca looked at the frozen image of my husband.
“Because somebody thinks whatever Liam discovered has resurfaced.”
Daniel’s phone vibrated.
He answered.
“Talk.”
He listened.
His face hardened.
“Bring him upstairs.”
“What happened?” Luca asked.
“We found the man in the red tie.”
My heartbeat jumped.
“Who is he?”
Daniel stared at me.
“Your manager.”
I actually laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it made no sense.
“Eric?”
“The ballroom manager,” Daniel said.
“No. He’s worked here six years.”
“He’s currently being escorted upstairs.”
Five minutes later, Eric Patterson entered the library between two security guards.
His red tie was missing.
The first thing he saw was me.
“Rachel.”
I stood.
“You took my son?”
“What?”
“Did you take Noah?”
“No!”
Daniel tossed the red tie onto the table.
Eric stared at it.
“I can explain.”
“Good,” Luca said. “Start.”
Eric looked terrified.
“I was told to open the lounge.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
Luca stepped closer.
“You led a four-year-old child to my elevator.”
“I never touched him!”
The room went silent.
Eric realized what he had admitted.
I whispered, “You knew he was there.”
He looked at me.
“I saw you bring him in this afternoon.”
“And you told someone?”
“They already knew.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know!”
Luca’s voice lowered.
“Wrong answer.”
“I swear.”
Eric was sweating.
“A man called my private phone this morning. He said Rachel would bring the boy. He knew everything.”
“What did he want?”
“To make sure the employee lounge camera stopped working for five minutes.”
“And the red tie?”
“He told me to wear it.”
My stomach turned.
“You were the marker.”
Eric nodded.
“I didn’t know they were going to involve the kid.”
“You opened the door.”
“I thought somebody was picking him up!”
“You thought a stranger was picking up my four-year-old?”
“I needed the money!”
I lunged at him.
Daniel caught me.
“You almost got my son killed!”
“I’m sorry!”
Luca stared at Eric.
“How much?”
“Ten thousand.”
“For five minutes of disabled surveillance?”
“Yes.”
“Who paid you?”
“Cash. Locker at South Station.”
Daniel leaned close to Luca.
“That’s professional.”
Luca nodded.
Then Eric suddenly looked at me.
“Rachel, there’s something else.”
“What?”
“The caller asked a question.”
“What question?”
Eric swallowed.
“He wanted to know if you still wore Liam’s wedding ring on a chain.”
My hand automatically went to my neck.
Under my uniform blouse.
Where Liam’s ring had hung for eleven months.
Luca noticed.
His expression changed.
“Take it off.”
I stepped back.
“No.”
“Rachel.”
“It’s my husband’s ring.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“Take it off.”
With trembling fingers, I pulled the chain over my head.
Luca held out his hand.
I dropped the ring into his palm.
He examined it.
Then looked at Daniel.
“Magnifier.”
Daniel brought a small inspection light.
Luca turned the ring.
There was a tiny scratch along the inner edge.
He pressed it.
The band separated.
A microscopic black memory chip slid into his palm.
Nobody spoke.
I stared at it.
“That’s been around my neck for eleven months.”
May you like
Luca looked at me.
“And tonight somebody came looking for it.”
