Chapter 4 - Locker M7

I woke on Christmas morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of Chloe laughing downstairs.

For three seconds, I forgot where I was.

Then I saw the unfamiliar ceiling.

The borrowed pajamas.

The chair pushed beneath the bedroom doorknob even though James had posted two men outside.

And Daniel's brass key on the nightstand.

Everything came back.

I got dressed and went downstairs.

Chloe was sitting at the kitchen table wearing a paper crown.

Mrs. Moretti stood at the stove.

James was cutting strawberries.

I stopped in the doorway.

"What is happening?"

Chloe grinned.

"Breakfast."

"I can see that."

"Mr. Moretti burned the first pancakes."

James didn't look up.

"The pan was defective."

His mother said, "The pan is older than you."

"Exactly."

"Do not blame my cookware because you are distracted."

I sat beside Chloe.

She whispered, "Grandma Moretti said I can call her Grandma Moretti."

"I heard."

"Can I?"

Mrs. Moretti placed a plate in front of me.

"She can."

I looked up.

"I don't want her to impose."

"Grace."

"Yes?"

"If I did not want the child to call me Grandma, I would tell her."

James said, "She absolutely would."

His mother pointed a spatula at him.

"No one asked you."

For a few minutes, we ate.

It was almost peaceful.

Then Tony entered.

"Boss."

James put down the knife.

"Report."

"Frank went home. Two cars stayed near Grace's building until four. We got plates on one."

"Registered?"

"Stolen."

"Of course."

Tony handed James a folder.

"Also pulled everything we could on Pier Fourteen."

James opened it.

I stopped eating.

He looked at me.

"You don't have to do this today."

"Neither do you."

"It's Christmas."

"Daniel died on December twenty-fourth."

He nodded once.

Mrs. Moretti looked at Chloe.

"Sweetheart, would you help me find ornaments in the sitting room?"

Chloe frowned.

"Are the grown-ups going to talk about scary things?"

Mrs. Moretti said, "Yes."

"Then I want to stay with Mommy."

I reached for her hand.

James said, "You can stay."

I looked at him.

He continued, "But if anything is too much, say so."

Chloe nodded seriously.

Tony spread papers across the table.

"Pier Fourteen was sold seven months after Anthony died."

I asked, "To whom?"

"A company called East Harbor Redevelopment."

"Who owns it?"

"On paper, a Delaware holding company."

"Real person?"

"We're tracing it."

James pointed to a page.

"Security logs."

Tony nodded.

"Most were wiped after the sale, but we found an archived maintenance file."

He slid it toward me.

I saw Daniel's name.

My fingers stopped.

DANIEL BENNETT - CONTRACT ELECTRICIAN.

Access authorization: M-level service corridor.

M7.

I whispered, "He had permission."

James leaned closer.

"Signed by Anthony."

My chest tightened.

"So they were working together."

"Looks that way."

Tony pulled out another sheet.

"There's more."

It was a copy of Daniel's accident report.

I had seen it before.

I recognized the case number.

The language looked different now.

Single vehicle loss of control.

Possible black ice.

No witnesses.

Driver deceased at scene.

I pointed.

"This."

James read the signature.

"Detective Raymond Cole."

Tony said, "Retired eighteen months ago."

"Where is he?"

"Florida."

"Convenient."

I said, "He came to my apartment."

James looked at me.

"The detective?"

"That morning."

"What did he say?"

"That Daniel died instantly. That he probably never knew what happened."

I laughed bitterly.

"I thanked him."

Mrs. Moretti touched my shoulder.

I stared at the report.

Then I saw the time.

Estimated collision: 12:40 a.m.

I looked at James.

"You said Anthony was found at twelve fifteen."

"Yes."

"Daniel's accident was twenty-five minutes later."

"Yes."

"What was the distance?"

Tony answered.

"Three point two miles."

"Daniel could have left after Anthony died."

James said, "Or been forced to."

I pushed back from the table.

Chloe squeezed my hand.

"Mommy?"

"I'm okay."

She looked at James.

"She's doing the thing."

"What thing?"

"Saying she's okay when she's not."

James looked at me.

I gave him a warning look.

He said, "Your mother is very brave."

"That's not the same thing."

"No."

Chloe nodded.

"Okay."

I rubbed my forehead.

"What do we do with M7?"

James answered immediately.

"We don't go."

"Why?"

"Because Frank knows about it."

"Maybe whoever searched my apartment knows too."

"Exactly."

"So if we wait, they can get there first."

"They may already have."

"Then waiting doesn't help."

James stared at me.

I stared back.

His mother said, "She has a point."

James groaned.

"Ma."

"I am not on your side because you are my son."

"That has been clear my entire life."

Tony said, "We can sweep the pier first."

James looked at him.

"Quietly?"

"Two teams. No Moretti vehicles."

I said, "I'm going."

"No."

"Daniel's key."

"Grace."

"My husband. My key. I'm going."

"It's dangerous."

"So is my apartment."

"I can have Tony bring back whatever is inside."

"No."

James's voice hardened.

"This is not a negotiation."

I stood.

"Then you can give me the key."

He blinked.

"What?"

"You don't own it."

"Grace."

"Give me Daniel's key."

He stared at me for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

Not kindly.

"You think you'll go alone."

"If necessary."

"Absolutely not."

"Then I guess it is a negotiation."

Tony suddenly became very interested in the ceiling.

Mrs. Moretti poured herself more coffee.

James rubbed both hands over his face.

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

"You come."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm furious."

"That seems to happen around me."

"Frequently."

We left after noon.

Chloe stayed with Mrs. Moretti.

I hated leaving her.

I hated taking her more.

Before I went, she hugged me hard.

"Come back."

"I will."

"Promise?"

The word caught me.

Daniel had promised to come back.

I could still hear him.

See you in the morning.

I don't break Christmas promises.

He had broken one because someone else decided he would.

I crouched in front of Chloe.

"I promise I will do everything I can to come back."

She frowned.

"That's not the same."

"No."

James stood behind me.

Chloe looked at him.

"You bring her back."

His face changed.

"I will do everything I can."

She nodded.

"Good."

The old pier was almost abandoned.

Snow had started falling.

Not enough to stick.

Just enough to make the harbor look gray and endless.

James wore a dark wool coat.

Tony walked ahead with two men.

I stayed close to James because everyone kept telling me to.

The east warehouse stood behind a chain-link fence.

Its windows were boarded.

A faded development sign hung crooked over the gate.

EAST HARBOR REDEVELOPMENT.

James looked at it.

"I never approved that sign."

"You don't own it anymore."

"I know."

"You sound offended."

"I don't like ugly fonts."

I stared at him.

"You're joking now?"

"I'm trying."

"Why?"

"Because you look like you're going to stop breathing."

I realized I was.

I inhaled.

"Thank you."

He nodded.

Tony opened a side entrance.

Inside, the air smelled like rust and wet concrete.

We descended a narrow staircase.

The service corridor was exactly where Mrs. Moretti said it would be.

Metal doors.

Old numbers.

M4.

M5.

M6.

Then M7.

I stopped.

James stood beside me.

"You don't have to open it."

"Yes, I do."

I slid the brass key into the lock.

It turned.

The door opened.

The locker was almost empty.

My heart dropped.

A metal shelf.

Dust.

An old rag.

Nothing else.

"No."

I stepped inside.

"No."

James checked the corners.

"Grace."

"Someone got here."

"Maybe."

"Don't say maybe."

I hit the shelf with my palm.

"Daniel died for this."

James watched me.

"We don't know that."

"Then what did he die for?"

My voice broke.

"Tell me."

He couldn't.

I turned away.

Then something crunched under my shoe.

I looked down.

A tiny piece of blue plastic.

James crouched.

"What is it?"

I picked it up.

It was the corner of a child's sticker.

A silver star on blue.

I knew it.

I had bought a sheet of them for Chloe when she was three.

Daniel used to put them on his toolbox because she insisted his tools needed decorations.

I dropped to my knees.

"Daniel was here."

James crouched beside me.

I ran my fingers along the bottom of the locker.

Nothing.

Then I saw four screw heads on the back panel.

Three were rusted.

One was bright.

"James."

He saw it.

Tony handed him a screwdriver.

James removed the bright screw.

Then the next.

The panel came loose.

Behind it was a cavity.

Inside was a plastic freezer bag.

My hands started shaking.

James looked at me.

"Do you want me to take it?"

"No."

I reached in.

The bag held an old mobile phone, a small digital recorder, a folded photograph, and a bank deposit key.

I opened the photograph first.

Daniel and Anthony Moretti stood beside a delivery truck.

They were not smiling.

Daniel was pointing at a manifest.

Anthony looked furious.

On the back, Daniel had written three words.

NOT JAMES. FRANK.

I stopped breathing.

James read over my shoulder.

For a long time, he did not move.

Then he said, "We leave now."

I looked at him.

"James."

"Now."

Tony was already on his phone.

"Teams, move."

I put the photograph back in the bag.

A sound echoed from the corridor.

Metal hitting concrete.

Tony raised one hand.

Everyone froze.

Then a voice came through the dark.

"Mr. Moretti."

James moved in front of me.

A man stepped into view.

I recognized him.

He had been at the restaurant on Christmas Eve.

One of James's men.

His name was Carlo.

James's voice was flat.

"Why are you here?"

Carlo looked nervous.

"Mr. DeLuca sent me."

Tony swore.

James said, "Frank told you to follow us?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Carlo looked at the bag in my hands.

That answered the question.

James stepped closer.

"How long have you been reporting to him?"

Carlo's face crumpled.

"Boss, I have kids."

"So does Grace."

"Frank said nobody would get hurt."

I laughed.

The sound shocked me.

"No one would get hurt?"

Carlo looked at me.

"My husband is dead."

"I didn't know."

"You followed us."

"I had to."

"No. You chose."

James said, "Who else is coming?"

Carlo swallowed.

"Three cars."

Tony said, "How far?"

"Maybe two minutes."

James looked toward the stairwell.

"Back exit?"

Tony shook his head.

"Collapsed last year."

James turned to me.

"Can you run?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Where?"

He pointed down the corridor.

"Old freight tunnel to the water."

"You said the back exit collapsed."

"The tunnel isn't an exit."

"Then what is it?"

"A terrible idea."

Carlo whispered, "Boss."

James looked at him.

"Take off your coat."

"What?"

"You're going to walk upstairs wearing mine."

Carlo's eyes widened.

"They'll kill me."

James's face hardened.

"You were comfortable letting them find her."

Carlo looked at me.

Then he took off his coat.

I grabbed James's arm.

"No."

He looked down.

"If they think you're upstairs, they follow him."

"I know."

"They could shoot him."

"I know."

"Then don't."

Carlo stared at me.

"Mrs. Bennett—"

"No."

James said, "Grace, we don't have time."

"Then find another way."

"People are coming to take what Daniel died protecting."

"And I am not starting this by getting another father killed."

James stared at me.

Something passed across his face.

Then he nodded.

"Fine."

Tony said, "Boss?"

"New plan."

"What plan?"

James looked at the old sprinkler pipes overhead.

Then at the electrical panel.

Then at me.

"Your husband was an electrician."

"Yes."

"Did he ever teach you anything useful?"

I looked at the breaker box.

Then at the ancient emergency lighting.

I understood.

"How much darkness do you need?"

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James smiled.

"All of it."