Chapter 2 - The Christmas Party
Marco was waiting beside the hospital entrance.
Snow covered the shoulders of his black overcoat.
“What did you find?”
He handed me a tablet.
Security footage.
A mansion.
Victor Hale’s mansion.
The video showed Evelyn leaving through the rear entrance at 12:06 a.m.
Except she wasn’t walking.
Two men were holding her arms.
A third carried her coat.
I recognized all three.
Her cousins.
Caleb. Ryan. Thomas.
Then Victor appeared.
He followed them outside carrying a leather folder.
I paused the footage.
“What’s that?”
Marco already knew.
“Documents.”
“What documents?”
“Evelyn inherited thirty percent of Hale Maritime from her grandfather.”
“I know.”
“Victor has been trying to buy those shares for three years.”
I stared at the screen.
“He didn't want to buy them tonight.”
“No.”
“He wanted her signature.”
Marco nodded.
I resumed the video.
Evelyn struggled.
Victor said something.
There was no audio.
Then Caleb shoved her into an SUV.
My hand tightened around the tablet.
Marco watched me carefully.
“There’s more.”
Twenty-nine minutes later, the same SUV appeared on traffic cameras near Route 17.
Four people were inside.
At 12:43, it returned.
Three people.
I handed the tablet back.
“Where are they?”
“Still at the mansion.”
“They went back to the party?”
“Yes.”
“After leaving her there?”
“Yes.”
I stared through the hospital doors.
Marco lowered his voice.
“Adrian.”
I looked at him.
“Give the order.”
I didn't.
Not yet.
“Bring me the folder.”
“What?”
“The documents Victor was carrying.”
Marco understood.
“Alive?”
I looked at him.
“Marco.”
He waited.
“Nobody touches them.”
His eyebrow moved slightly.
“That’s unexpected.”
“They believe I’m a hotel owner.”
“Yes.”
“Tonight I want them to keep believing it.”
---
Twenty minutes later, I entered Victor Hale’s mansion alone.
Music was playing.
Champagne flowed.
There were still nearly forty guests inside.
Victor spotted me immediately.
“Well.”
He smiled.
“The husband finally arrived.”
Conversation gradually stopped.
Caleb stood near the fireplace.
Ryan was drinking bourbon.
Thomas had blood on one cuff.
Evelyn's blood.
I looked at it for several seconds.
Thomas noticed.
He smiled.
“Your wife had a difficult evening.”
Victor chuckled.
A few relatives laughed.
I walked farther into the room.
“Where is Evelyn?”
Victor spread his hands.
“She left.”
“No.”
His smile weakened.
“She left.”
“You put her in an SUV at 12:06.”
Silence.
Caleb put down his drink.
Victor studied me.
“So you know.”
“I know.”
He walked closer.
“Then perhaps Evelyn finally learned something tonight.”
“What?”
“Family comes before marriage.”
I looked at him.
“She wouldn't sign over her shares.”
Victor smiled.
“Those shares belong to the Hales.”
“They belonged to her grandfather.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“You need to understand something, Adrian. Evelyn became confused after marrying you.”
“Confused?”
“She started believing she could tell this family no.”
Ryan laughed.
Victor pointed toward my chest.
“You buy hotels.”
I said nothing.
“You attend charity dinners.”
Still nothing.
“You fly around in private jets and pretend that makes you powerful.”
Victor leaned closer.
“But this isn't one of your boardrooms.”
I looked past him toward Thomas.
The blood was still on his cuff.
Then back to Victor.
“You left my wife beside a highway without a coat.”
Victor shrugged.
“She needed time to cool down.”
Several men laughed.
I reached into my pocket.
Caleb stepped forward.
“What are you reaching for?”
“My phone.”
I took it out.
Victor smiled.
“Calling your lawyer?”
“No.”
I typed two words.
Black winter.
May you like
Then pressed send.
---
