Chapter 2 - The Man Behind David's Name

Catherine stared at Alessandro until the monitor beside him began to beep faster.

"Never just an insurance investigator," she repeated. "That is what you're telling me?"

"Yes."

"My husband inspected warehouse fires and fraudulent claims. He complained about spreadsheets. He forgot passwords. He bought grocery-store coffee because he said café coffee was a scam."

Alessandro's expression did not change.

"He was also a financial crimes analyst working off-book for a federal inspector general."

Catherine shook her head.

"No."

"He used the insurance job because it gave him legitimate access to burned buildings, shipping manifests, corporate records, and shell companies."

"No."

"Catherine—"

"Stop saying my name like you know me."

Marco stayed beside the door, listening to the corridor.

Alessandro took a slow breath.

"David came to me eighteen months ago. He said someone inside a federal task force was selling protection to criminal organizations and using staged accident reports to erase witnesses."

"And you expect me to believe he trusted you?"

"He did not trust me. He needed me."

"For what?"

"Names."

Catherine's jaw tightened.

"Whose names?"

"People paying Harlan. People Harlan paid. People whose cases disappeared."

She looked toward the door.

"You have proof?"

"Some. David had the rest."

"Where?"

"If I knew, Harlan would already know too."

Catherine laughed bitterly.

"Convenient."

Logan tugged at her sleeve.

"Mommy, juice."

The request was so normal that it almost broke her.

"Okay. We will get juice."

She turned toward the exit.

Alessandro spoke quickly.

"If you walk into the public corridor, Harlan will see you."

"He already knows I exist. He came to my husband's funeral."

"He doesn't know you are here with me. That matters."

Catherine stopped.

Marco opened a small refrigerator built into the wall and handed her a sealed apple juice carton.

"Still closed," he said.

She looked at him suspiciously.

"Do you think I believe either of you?"

"No," Marco said. "But your boy is thirsty."

She checked the seal herself before giving it to Logan.

Alessandro watched her.

"Good habit."

"I work in a hospital. I don't accept unverified anything from strangers."

"Then verify me."

"How?"

"Call David's old number."

Catherine frowned.

"It was disconnected months ago."

"Call it."

She took out her phone.

Her thumb hovered over the contact she had never deleted.

DAVID.

She had opened that contact dozens of times after the funeral, sometimes just to stare at his photograph. She had sent messages she knew would never be delivered.

I got Logan to eat peas.

Your mother called again.

I hate sleeping alone.

I am angry at you for leaving.

She pressed call.

The line rang once.

Twice.

Then a recorded voice said, "The subscriber you have dialed is unavailable."

Catherine looked at Alessandro.

"Nothing."

"Wait."

Her phone vibrated.

A text arrived from an unknown number.

DO NOT TRUST THE MAN WHO BROUGHT BACK THE RING.

Catherine's face went numb.

Marco swore under his breath.

Alessandro closed his eyes.

"Read it."

"You already know?"

"No. But I know David."

She held up the phone.

"It says not to trust you."

"Then don't."

"That's your response?"

"David would have built layers. If the number reactivated, a relay would send a warning."

"A relay run by whom?"

"Possibly David. Possibly someone he trusted. Possibly someone who stole the system."

Catherine stared at the message.

"Can you trace it?"

Marco shook his head.

"Not from here without equipment."

"I know someone who can."

Both men looked at her.

"Who?" Alessandro asked.

"My sister-in-law, Emily."

Alessandro's eyes narrowed.

"David's sister?"

"Yes. Cybersecurity consultant. Annoyingly paranoid."

"David told me he had no siblings."

Catherine went still.

"What?"

"He said he was an only child."

"Emily Winters is his older sister. She introduced us."

Marco stepped away from the door.

"That's not a small discrepancy."

"No," Catherine said. "It isn't."

She called Emily.

No answer.

She called again.

Straight to voicemail.

Catherine typed a message.

CALL ME NOW. IT'S ABOUT DAVID.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Then vanished.

A reply came.

WHERE ARE YOU?

Catherine hesitated.

Alessandro said, "Do not tell her."

"You don't get a vote."

"If David told me he had no sister, there was a reason."

Catherine typed: AT WORK.

Emily answered: LEAVE. GO HOME. LOCK THE DOORS. DO NOT TALK TO POLICE.

Catherine read it twice.

"She knows something."

"Ask her about the ring," Alessandro said.

Catherine typed: SOMEONE HAS DAVID'S WEDDING RING.

This time the response took nearly a minute.

Then Emily wrote: THROW YOUR PHONE AWAY.

Catherine's heartbeat climbed.

"Why would she say that?"

Marco looked toward the ceiling.

"Because someone may be tracking it."

Catherine looked at the device in her hand as if it had become a live insect.

"Hospital Wi-Fi?"

"Cellular location is enough," Marco said.

Alessandro pushed himself higher and winced.

"Marco, get them out through laundry transport."

"I am not being wheeled through a hospital in a linen cart," Catherine said.

"Then walk through the loading dock and let Harlan put your face on every camera between here and the parking lot."

She hated that he was right.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"Not home."

"My son's clothes are there. His medicine is there."

"Harlan has had seven months to learn your address."

"He has been inside my house."

"Exactly."

Catherine looked down at Logan, who had finished his juice and was making his teddy bear wave at the IV pole.

"I need my car seat."

Marco nodded.

"I can get one."

"And I need to know why David told you he had no sister."

Alessandro's gaze settled on the ring.

"So do I."

A nurse entered through the main door before they could say more.

Her name badge read NORA FIELDS. Catherine recognized her from night rotation.

Nora looked at Catherine, then Alessandro, then Marco.

"There are federal agents asking staff for visitor records."

Catherine stepped closer.

"Nora, I need a favor."

"Judging by the men in suits, I was afraid of that."

"Can you tell them I left ten minutes ago?"

Nora's eyes widened.

"That sounds like lying to federal agents."

"It is."

"Great. Just checking."

Alessandro said, "You don't have to do anything illegal."

Nora looked at him.

"You are Alessandro Romano."

"So I've been told."

"My brother spent six months in prison because one of your companies was investigated."

Marco's posture changed.

Catherine braced herself.

Nora continued.

"He was guilty. Stupid, but guilty. So don't mistake me for a fan."

Alessandro nodded.

"Fair."

Nora turned to Catherine.

"But I heard Harlan asking whether your son was with you. He knew Logan's name."

Catherine felt a cold wave pass through her.

"He said Logan?"

"Yes."

"Not 'the child'?"

"He said, 'Was Logan Winters brought into this wing?'"

Alessandro looked at Marco.

"We move now."

Nora crossed her arms.

"There is a service elevator behind radiology. Camera is broken. Officially waiting on parts."

Marco nodded once.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you."

"Understood."

Catherine took one step toward the hidden passage, then turned back.

"Alessandro. If you're lying about David—"

"You will never see me again."

"That's not what I was going to say."

He met her eyes.

"I know."

She walked out with Marco and Logan.

They moved through staff corridors, down the service elevator, and into the underground loading area. Marco had a black SUV waiting with a child seat already installed.

Catherine stopped at the open rear door.

"How did you get that so fast?"

"Hospital family transport keeps spares. I paid for one."

"You stole hospital equipment?"

"Paid for it."

"With whose permission?"

"A man who became very cooperative when I offered four times retail."

"That's not permission."

"It is in New Jersey."

Against her will, Catherine almost smiled.

Then she saw something under the windshield wiper.

A white envelope.

Marco saw it too.

"Don't touch it."

He pulled on gloves and lifted the envelope carefully.

CATHERINE was written across the front.

Her own name.

Inside was a photograph.

David stood beside a train platform clock.

He looked thinner than she remembered, hair longer, beard rough. In his left hand he held that day's newspaper.

The date on the front page was twelve days ago.

Catherine's legs weakened.

"Oh my God."

On the back of the photograph someone had written a sentence in black ink.

Catherine read it aloud.

"If Romano shows you the ring, the clock has already started."

Marco's phone rang.

He answered.

"Yes?"

His face changed.

"When?"

A pause.

"Keep him alive."

He ended the call.

Catherine clutched the photograph.

"What happened?"

"Someone tried to kill Alessandro in his room."

"Harlan?"

"Not Harlan."

"Then who?"

Marco looked at the photograph in her hand.

"A woman wearing a hospital badge. Security stopped her at the door."

Catherine's mind went immediately to Emily.

"What did she look like?"

Marco answered carefully.

"About thirty-five. Dark red hair."

Catherine closed her eyes.

Emily had dark red hair.

When she opened them, Marco was watching her.

"You know her."

"Maybe."

"Who?"

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Catherine slid the photograph into her scrub pocket.

"The sister David told Alessandro he never had."