Chapter 2 - The Secret Elena Was Hiding
Marcus reached for the closet handle.
Elena raised her pistol.
I caught her wrist.
She looked at me like I had lost my mind.
I pointed upward.
An access panel sat above the shelving.
I had installed it years earlier during renovations.
Elena understood immediately.
I climbed first, pushed the panel open, and pulled myself into the narrow maintenance passage.
Elena followed.
Seconds later, the closet doors opened beneath us.
Marcus entered.
“Empty.”
We crawled through darkness.
Elena whispered, “Where does this lead?”
“Guest bathroom.”
“You have secret passages?”
“I have enemies.”
“You also have trust issues.”
“Apparently not enough.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
We reached another panel.
I opened it carefully.
Empty bathroom.
We dropped inside.
I immediately turned on Elena.
“Start talking.”
“Keep your voice down.”
“My brother died twelve years ago.”
“I know.”
“Car accident.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“His brakes were sabotaged.”
I stared at her.
“How could you possibly know that?”
She hesitated.
“My father investigated the crash.”
“Who was your father?”
“Detective Rafael Cruz.”
The name hit me.
I remembered him.
A stubborn NYPD detective who had spent years investigating my family.
“He died,” I said.
“Six months after your brother.”
“Yes.”
Elena looked at me.
“Another accident.”
I understood.
“You don't believe that either.”
“No.”
“Why work in my house?”
“To find out who killed him.”
“You've been investigating me for three years?”
“At first.”
“At first?”
“I thought you ordered my father's death.”
“And now?”
“I know you didn't.”
“How?”
“Because I found what he found.”
She reached beneath her uniform and pulled out a tiny flash drive hanging from a chain around her neck.
“My father hid copies of his investigation.”
I stared at it.
“What's on there?”
“Payments. Phone records. Surveillance photographs.”
“Of Marcus?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
She hesitated.
“Tony.”
My security chief.
The man who had protected me for seventeen years.
“He was working with someone inside your family.”
“Marcus.”
“I couldn't prove that until tonight.”
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.
We moved.
I led Elena downstairs through the servants' staircase.
The security room was empty.
Every monitor had been disabled.
Elena went directly to the control panel.
“You know my system?”
“I clean this room.”
“You clean computer servers?”
“I pay attention.”
She opened a cabinet and reset a breaker.
Half the monitors flickered alive.
Cameras appeared.
Marcus's men were searching upstairs.
Two others guarded the front entrance.
Then another camera activated.
Kitchen.
A man stood beside the marble island.
Tony.
He was speaking on his phone.
Marcus entered.
Tony ended the call.
“You were supposed to intercept him before he got inside,” Marcus said.
“I did my part.”
“His car is here.”
“Then your men missed him.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“Careful.”
Tony smiled.
“Your uncle should've taught you not to threaten people you need.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“I don't need you after tonight.”
Tony's smile disappeared.
Elena looked at me.
“Still think I'm paranoid?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Tony spoke again.
“We find Vincent. We get the ledger. Then we're done.”
My eyes narrowed.
Ledger?
Marcus nodded.
“And Elena?”
Tony's expression changed.
“She dies.”
Elena went pale.
I looked at her.
“You expected that?”
“I suspected.”
“Why?”
“Because Tony knows who I am.”
On the monitor, Marcus asked the same question.
“Why are you so worried about a maid?”
Tony stared at him.
“Because she isn't a maid.”
Marcus frowned.
Tony continued.
“Her father was Rafael Cruz.”
Marcus froze.
Apparently that name meant something to him too.
“Elena Cruz?”
“Yes.”
Marcus cursed.
“You let a detective's daughter work inside this house for three years?”
“I didn't know until last week.”
Marcus paced.
“What does she have?”
“I don't know.”
“Then find her.”
Tony picked up his weapon.
Marcus caught his arm.
“No.”
Tony looked down.
“What?”
“I want her alive.”
“Why?”
Marcus smiled.
“Because if she spent three years investigating this family, she may know where Vincent keeps the ledger.”
I looked at Elena.
“What ledger?”
She avoided my eyes.
“Elena.”
“There’s something your brother left behind.”
“What?”
“A record.”
“Of what?”
“Everything.”
My organization had records.
But nothing centralized.
Keeping one ledger containing every secret would have been suicidal.
Unless—
“My brother created it?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“I don't know.”
I studied her face.
“You're lying.”
She stared back.
Then footsteps sounded outside the security room.
Someone tried the handle.
Locked.
A voice came through the door.
“Boss?”
I recognized it.
Tony.
“Are you in there?”
Elena raised her gun.
Tony knocked.
“Vincent, we need to talk.”
I almost admired the nerve.
I pressed the intercom button.
“Then talk.”
Tony went silent.
Marcus's voice sounded farther down the hallway.
“He's inside!”
Tony stepped backward.
I looked at Elena.
“Back exit?”
She pointed.
“Service corridor.”
“Go.”
“What about you?”
“I'll follow.”
“No.”
“Elena—”
“If you stay, I stay.”
I stared at her.
Three years.
I had barely noticed this woman.
Tonight she had saved my life twice.
“Fine.”
We slipped through the rear door.
As we entered the corridor, Elena whispered:
“The ledger isn't just about your organization.”
“What else?”
“Judges. Detectives. Politicians.”
I stopped.
“And?”
“Your brother discovered someone was selling information about your family.”
“Tony.”
“Tony was only the messenger.”
“Who was above him?”
Elena looked toward the kitchen.
“Marcus's father.”
May you like
My dead brother.
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