Chapter 3 - The Woman Sienna Had Been Paying to Find

Dante did not accuse Sienna.

Not immediately.

That was not his style.

He asked questions.

Quietly.

One at a time.

"Who selected the florist?"

"Petra."

"Who approved the subcontractors?"

"I don't know."

"Who changed the west foyer arrangement from roses to orchids?"

Sienna's expression shifted.

"I did."

"Why?"

"They looked better."

Dante nodded once.

Then looked at Rafe.

"Pull every communication related to the florist."

Sienna stared at him.

"You are investigating me?"

"I am investigating a camera installed in my home."

"You looked at me when you said that."

"Because you are standing in front of me."

Mara almost looked away.

Almost.

Rafe returned forty minutes later.

The florist order had been modified from Sienna's personal account.

Not unusual.

The subcontractor had been added through an outside event consultant.

Also not unusual.

The consultant was paid by a company called North Vale Events.

Sienna frowned.

"I don't own that."

Rafe said:

"Your father does."

Silence.

Sienna's father.

Arthur Vale.

Real estate.

Private equity.

Political donations.

A man whose name appeared on hospital wings and lawsuits with equal frequency.

Dante looked at Sienna.

"Did you know?"

"No."

Mara believed her.

That surprised her.

Dante seemed to believe her too.

Then Rafe placed another page on the table.

North Vale Events had made twelve payments over three years to a private investigator.

Name:

Paul Renner.

Mara stopped breathing.

The room disappeared around the edges.

Dante noticed.

"You know him."

Mara looked at the page.

Paul Renner.

Forty-eight.

Former police detective.

Private investigator.

The man who had sat across from her in a Queens diner four years earlier and told her:

If you testify, they will find you before the trial.

She whispered:

"Yes."

Sienna turned.

"Who is he?"

Mara did not answer.

Dante did.

"A private investigator."

Then to Mara:

"Why would Sienna's father pay someone you know?"

Mara looked at the exit again.

Dante saw.

"Don't run."

She almost laughed.

"That isn't an order you get to give me."

For the first time, his expression softened.

"No."

He nodded.

"It isn't."

That helped.

More than it should have.

Mara sat.

Then told them the part of her life she had removed from every employee form.

At Cohen, Marks and Avery, she had worked litigation support.

One client was a shipping company.

One file involved shell vendors.

Invoice fraud.

Bribes.

Mara noticed something she was not supposed to notice.

The same account number appeared in three unrelated exhibits.

She told an associate.

The associate told a partner.

The partner told someone else.

Two days later, Mara's apartment had been entered.

Nothing stolen.

Only moved.

A photograph of her mother turned face down.

A kitchen knife placed on the table.

Then Paul Renner found her.

He said he worked for people trying to keep her alive.

Mara never knew if that was true.

He told her not to testify.

She did anyway.

The case collapsed before trial.

A witness disappeared.

Evidence was excluded.

The company settled without admission.

Mara quit law.

Changed apartments.

Changed routines.

Became a housekeeper.

Dante listened without interruption.

Then asked:

"What was the shipping company?"

Mara looked at him.

"Vale Maritime."

Silence.

Sienna's face emptied.

"My father's company."

"Former company."

Arthur Vale had sold it six years ago.

Dante looked at Sienna.

"You didn't know."

She shook her head.

"No."

Mara believed that too.

Then Rafe said:

"There's more."

Nobody wanted more.

He continued anyway.

Paul Renner had been paid by North Vale Events last month.

Payment description:

LOCATION CONFIRMATION.

Dante looked at Mara.

"They were looking for you."

Mara nodded.

Sienna whispered:

"My father."

Dante looked at her.

"Call him."

Sienna froze.

"What?"

"Call your father."

"Now?"

"Now."

She did.

Speaker on.

Arthur answered on the third ring.

"Darling."

Sienna said:

"Dad, who is Paul Renner?"

Silence.

A small one.

But enough.

Arthur asked:

"Where are you?"

Dante leaned toward the phone.

"With me."

Arthur's tone changed.

"Dante."

"Paul Renner."

Arthur exhaled.

"This is not a phone conversation."

"It is now."

Arthur said nothing.

Dante continued:

"Why were you paying him to locate Mara Ellis?"

Mara froze.

Not Blake.

Ellis.

Her old surname.

The one she had not used in four years.

Sienna stared at her.

Dante's eyes narrowed.

Arthur had not been told that name.

Not by anyone in the room.

He had supplied it himself.

Dante said:

"Thank you."

Then ended the call.

Sienna looked sick.

Mara felt worse.

Dante asked:

"Why Blake?"

"My grandmother's name."

"Legal?"

"Yes."

"You changed it."

"Yes."

Sienna whispered:

"My father knew who you were."

Mara looked at her.

"Apparently."

Then the elevator chimed.

Private floor.

No guest should have had access.

Rafe drew his weapon.

Dante stepped in front of Mara without thinking.

The doors opened.

Paul Renner walked out.

Hands visible.

No weapon.

Older than Mara remembered.

More tired.

He looked at her.

"Mara."

She stood.

"You found me."

Renner shook his head.

"No."

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He looked at Dante.

"I came because Arthur Vale finally found out who she really is."