Chapter 2 - The Number Nobody Should Have

Willa did not repeat Leo’s whisper.

Not while Miles Creed stood in the doorway.

Not while Adrian’s face was still turned toward his son.

She simply pulled Leo closer and said, “He’s exhausted. He needs quiet.”

Dr. Ellison understood before Adrian did.

“Everyone out except one parent and one support person.”

Miles took a step forward.

“I need to interview him while the memory is fresh.”

“No,” Willa said.

His gaze settled on her.

“You don’t work here.”

“Neither does common sense, apparently.”

Adrian looked between them.

“Miles. Out.”

“Adrian—”

“Now.”

The security chief’s jaw flexed.

Then he left.

Adrian waited until the door clicked shut.

“What did Leo say to you?”

Willa looked at the boy.

His eyes were closing.

“Not now.”

Adrian’s voice hardened.

“If he knows something about the person who took him—”

“He’s six.”

“He’s my son.”

“And that is exactly why you should care whether he’s terrified when he answers.”

Adrian stopped.

Dr. Ellison said, “She’s right.”

Leo reached blindly for Willa’s sleeve.

“Stay.”

“I’m staying.”

Adrian sat across from them.

For a long minute, the only sound was rain against the windows.

Then Leo said, “Miles was in the car.”

Adrian went completely still.

Willa watched him.

“Before the alley?”

Leo nodded.

“Which car?”

“The black one.”

“All of them are black,” Adrian said softly.

“The one Hannah took me out of.”

Adrian leaned forward.

“Leo, was Miles driving?”

“No.”

“Was he sitting with you?”

“No.”

“Where was he?”

“Outside.”

Willa asked, “Did he talk to Hannah?”

Leo’s face tightened.

“He yelled.”

“What did he say?”

“I don’t remember.”

“That’s okay.”

Adrian said, “Did you see him hurt Hannah?”

“No.”

“Did you see anyone hurt her?”

Leo shook his head.

Willa noticed Adrian breathe again.

Then the boy whispered, “She was scared of him.”

Adrian sat back.

Willa said, “That doesn’t prove he took Leo.”

“No.”

“But it proves you don’t tell him what Leo said.”

Adrian looked at her.

“He has run my security for nine years.”

“That is not the argument you think it is.”

Dr. Ellison covered Leo with a blanket.

“I’m taking the blood sample to the lab myself. No internal courier.”

Adrian nodded.

“Thank you.”

When the doctor left, Willa stood.

Leo immediately woke.

“No.”

“I’m getting water.”

“No.”

Adrian rose.

“I’ll get it.”

Willa watched a billionaire walk into his own kitchen because his son would not let a waitress cross the room.

Something about it softened her.

Only slightly.

Adrian returned with a glass and handed it to her.

“Thank you.”

He sat again.

“Now tell me why my father’s cufflink matters to you.”

Willa looked at the crystal crest inside his palm.

“My father kept a box after the crash.”

“What kind of box?”

“Old metal toolbox. Mostly papers. A few things from his years working for your family.”

“Was there another cufflink?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“How did you know?”

“My father wore them at every formal event. They were custom made in London. One disappeared the night he died.”

Willa felt her stomach turn.

“My father had one.”

Adrian stared at her.

“You’re certain?”

“I used to play with it when I was little. Blue crystal. Silver bird. Same crest.”

“Falcon.”

“Whatever.”

“Why would Thomas have it?”

“I don’t know.”

Adrian looked toward the door.

“Where is the box?”

“Under my bed.”

“I want to see it.”

“That was fast.”

“If it contains anything connected to my father’s death—”

“It belongs to me.”

“I’ll pay you.”

Willa laughed.

“You really do live in a strange world.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did.”

Adrian rubbed his forehead.

“Fine. I’m sorry.”

That surprised her.

He continued, “May I see it?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“After I know Leo is safe.”

“He will be safe.”

She glanced toward the hallway.

“Your security chief was in the car.”

Adrian’s expression cooled.

“I heard my son.”

“Then don’t make promises you can’t prove.”

He looked as though he wanted to argue.

Instead he said, “What do you need?”

“A locked room. No Miles. No one except the doctor. And I want to know whether that phone number on Leo’s arm is really yours.”

Adrian pulled out his phone.

“It is.”

“Who knows it?”

“Very few people.”

“Names.”

“My assistant. Dr. Ellison. Miles. My aunt Evelyn. Leo’s nanny Hannah.”

“That’s five people too many for an emergency number.”

“It changes every three months.”

Willa looked at Leo’s arm.

“Who wrote it?”

“Hannah, I assume.”

Leo shook his head.

“Hannah didn’t.”

Both adults turned.

Willa crouched beside him.

“Who did?”

“A lady.”

“What lady?”

“The silver birds.”

Adrian frowned.

“What?”

“She had silver birds.”

“On her clothes?”

Leo nodded.

“Here.”

He touched his collarbone.

“A brooch?”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s face changed.

Willa saw it.

“You know who wears a silver bird brooch.”

He did not answer.

“Adrian.”

“My aunt Evelyn.”

Leo said, “Aunt Evie.”

Willa sat back.

“Your aunt wrote your emergency number on his arm?”

Adrian looked at his son.

“Did Aunt Evelyn write it?”

Leo squeezed his eyes shut.

“I don’t know.”

“Leo.”

“I said I don’t know.”

Willa lifted a hand.

“Enough.”

Adrian’s frustration flashed.

“He just said—”

“He also has a sedative in his blood and spent an hour in a freezing alley.”

Adrian stopped.

His voice became quieter.

“You’re right.”

Leo turned his face toward the sofa cushion.

Willa stroked his hair.

“No more questions.”

A phone vibrated in Adrian’s pocket.

He checked it.

His expression tightened.

“What?”

“Hannah’s car was found.”

“Where?”

“Queens.”

“With her?”

“No.”

Willa stared.

“Any sign of an accident?”

“No.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

Adrian turned the screen toward her.

A photograph showed a dark sedan parked beneath an overpass.

The driver’s door was open.

A white scarf lay on the pavement.

There was no person in the image.

Willa said, “That doesn’t tell us anything.”

“It tells me she didn’t drive home.”

“Who found it?”

“Miles’s team.”

Willa looked at him.

He understood.

“I’ll send another team.”

“Not one he chooses.”

Adrian made a call.

“Rafael, I need you in Queens. Personally. No one from Miles’s unit. I’ll text the location.”

He hung up.

“Rafael?”

“My head of corporate investigations.”

“Different from security?”

“Very.”

“Do they hate each other?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

For the first time that night, Adrian gave a tired smile.

Then the lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Leo sat upright.

Willa heard a mechanical click from the hallway.

Adrian moved instantly toward the door.

“Stay with him.”

“No argument there.”

He opened the door.

Two men in security uniforms stood outside.

One said, “Power transfer test, sir.”

“At two in the morning?”

“Building systems flagged a fault.”

Adrian looked beyond them.

“Miles ordered this?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Cancel it.”

The man hesitated.

“Sir?”

“Cancel the test.”

“Yes, sir.”

Adrian shut the door and locked it.

Willa said, “Paranoid?”

“Becoming so.”

“Good.”

His phone rang again.

This time he answered on speaker.

“Rafael.”

A low voice replied, “I’m at the car.”

“Is Hannah there?”

“No.”

“Blood?”

“No.”

Willa exhaled.

Rafael continued, “But there’s something you need to hear.”

“Go.”

“The car was wiped down.”

Adrian’s face darkened.

“Completely?”

“Interior surfaces, handles, steering wheel. Whoever left it wanted it clean.”

Willa said, “Then how did your people know it was hers?”

“License plate,” Rafael said.

Adrian introduced her quickly.

“Willa found Leo.”

Rafael was silent for a second.

Then: “The waitress?”

Willa’s eyebrows rose.

“That traveled fast.”

“Everything about tonight is traveling fast.”

Adrian said, “What else?”

“There’s a parking receipt in the glove compartment. It’s from the Moretti Foundation garage.”

“Tonight?”

“Six forty-two p.m.”

“The gala began at seven.”

“Exactly.”

Willa asked, “Where was Hannah supposed to arrive?”

“Main entrance with Leo,” Adrian said.

Rafael continued, “And there’s a second problem.”

“What?”

“The garage security archive has a gap.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“How long?”

“Eleven minutes.”

Willa said, “Let me guess. Miles controls the cameras.”

“His department does.”

Silence.

Then Rafael said, “I’m going to pull the raw server logs before anyone notices.”

Adrian answered, “Do it.”

The call ended.

Willa looked at him.

“How many coincidences do you need?”

“More than this before I accuse a man who has protected my family for nine years.”

“Protected your family or controlled access to it?”

His eyes sharpened.

“You don’t know him.”

“No. But your son is afraid of him.”

“That matters.”

“It should matter more than his résumé.”

Adrian turned toward the window.

Rain streaked the glass.

“I hired Miles after an attempt on my life.”

Willa waited.

“He found the person responsible. He took a bullet during the arrest.”

“That makes him loyal?”

“It made me think so.”

“People can save you once and betray you later.”

Adrian looked back at her.

“You speak like you’ve learned that personally.”

“I’ve learned people can tell the same lie for years until everyone mistakes it for history.”

His gaze dropped to the cufflink.

“Your father.”

“Yes.”

He sat.

“My father’s crash happened thirteen years ago. I was twenty-five. I was in London when it happened.”

“I know.”

“The official report said Thomas Vance failed to document a brake warning.”

“The official report was wrong.”

“I believed it.”

“So did everyone.”

Adrian’s expression held something Willa had not expected.

Shame.

“I never looked deeper.”

“Why would you? The dead driver’s employee was easier to blame.”

“Thomas didn’t die in the crash.”

“No. He lived long enough to be ruined by it.”

Adrian said nothing.

Leo’s breathing had finally become slow and even.

Willa lowered her voice.

“My father never sued your family. Never went to the papers. Never tried to sell his story.”

“Why?”

“He said he was afraid.”

“Of whom?”

“He never told me.”

Adrian looked at the locked door.

Willa saw the same thought cross his face.

Maybe the past had never ended.

At three sixteen, Dr. Ellison returned.

“The sedative was zolpidem.”

Adrian frowned.

“That’s a sleep medication.”

“In a small amount, yes. But Leo shouldn’t have had any.”

“Could it have been accidental?”

“No.”

Willa asked, “How recently?”

“Within a few hours.”

Adrian’s phone buzzed again.

A message.

He read it twice.

Then he handed the screen to Willa.

It was from Rafael.

FOUND DELETED GARAGE ENTRY.

One still image was attached.

A woman in a dark dress was crouched beside Leo near a service elevator.

Hannah.

Behind her stood Miles Creed.

And beside Miles, perfectly visible beneath the garage lights, stood an elegant silver-haired woman wearing a brooch shaped like two silver falcons.

Willa looked at Adrian.

“Your aunt.”

His voice was barely audible.

“Yes.”

The next message arrived before either of them spoke.

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Rafael had written only four words.

HANNAH WAS NOT ALONE.