Chapter 7
Anna was found forty minutes later.
Alive.
Shaken.
But alive.
Two men had grabbed her in the grocery store parking lot and forced her into a van.
They drove several blocks.
Then suddenly stopped and released her.
No explanation.
No demands.
Just one warning.
“Tell Grace to choose carefully.”
When Anna reached the hotel, she slapped me.
Hard.
Then hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.
“What did you get yourself into?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You better be.”
She pulled back.
Her eyes were full of tears.
“I thought they were going to kill me.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I know enough.”
She looked around at the agents.
“Why are billionaires kidnapping me?”
Nobody had a simple answer.
Agent Brooks arranged police protection for Anna.
I expected my sister to go home.
Instead she sat in the hotel security office and refused to leave.
“I’m not letting you disappear too.”
“Anna—”
“No.”
I knew that tone.
Arguing was pointless.
Ruiz turned to Agent Brooks.
“Charlotte Whitmore says she wants Victoria destroyed.”
Brooks nodded.
“But she stole the drive.”
“If she stole it.”
“Who else would use her credentials?”
Agent Cole entered.
“We found Charlotte.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
“She checked into the Langham under another name.”
“Is she still there?”
“No.”
“She left?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
“Alone?”
Cole shook his head.
“With Richard Whitmore.”
That changed everything.
Ruiz folded her arms.
“So father and daughter are together.”
“Appears so.”
“Then Richard’s phone call wasn’t a bluff.”
“He may actually be opposing Victoria.”
Anna looked between us.
“Can someone explain the family tree?”
I almost laughed despite everything.
“Victoria is Richard’s wife.”
“And Charlotte is their daughter.”
“Yes.”
“And the wife is framing the husband?”
“Maybe.”
“And the daughter kidnapped me because she wants the mother arrested?”
“Apparently.”
Anna stared.
“Rich people need hobbies.”
No one laughed.
Agent Brooks’s phone rang.
She answered.
“Brooks.”
A pause.
“Put her through.”
She looked at us.
“Charlotte.”
Brooks put the call on speaker.
Charlotte’s voice filled the room.
“I assume Grace’s sister is unharmed.”
Anna leaned toward the phone.
“You call that unharmed?”
Charlotte paused.
“I apologize.”
Anna stared at the phone.
“Oh, wonderful. The kidnapper apologized.”
“Anna,” I whispered.
“No.”
Charlotte continued.
“My men were told not to hurt you.”
Anna laughed angrily.
“Maybe send them a customer service survey.”
Agent Brooks interrupted.
“Charlotte, where is the drive?”
“Safe.”
“You broke into a secured hotel.”
“I entered property owned by my family.”
“You abducted a civilian.”
“I needed Grace’s attention.”
“You have it.”
Charlotte’s voice lowered.
“Then listen carefully.”
We did.
“My mother has spent fifteen years using Whitmore Development as a private machine.”
“For what?” Brooks asked.
“Power.”
“That’s vague.”
“Bribes. Illegal evictions. shell companies. payoffs.”
“Murders?”
Silence.
Then Charlotte said, “Possibly.”
Anna looked at me.
“Does Richard know?”
“He began suspecting two years ago.”
“Why didn’t he go to police?”
“Because half the evidence pointed to him.”
Brooks glanced at Ruiz.
Just as Caroline had said.
Charlotte continued.
“My mother structured everything under Richard’s authority. His signatures. His corporate accounts. His meetings.”
“Then why was he in that suite?”
“He was confronting her.”
“And why did he threaten Caroline?”
Another pause.
“He panicked.”
That answer sounded almost normal.
Almost.
“He saw a housekeeper recording a conversation that could destroy him.”
“So he ordered her detained?”
“Yes.”
“Then he’s guilty too.”
“I never said my father was innocent.”
There it was.
Charlotte wasn’t defending him.
She just wanted Victoria more.
Brooks asked, “Where is Caroline’s second drive?”
“With me.”
“Give it to us.”
“No.”
Ruiz leaned closer.
“Why not?”
“Because Victoria has someone inside your investigation.”
Ruiz’s jaw tightened.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Convenient.”
“I know the payments.”
“To police officers?”
“And city officials. Prosecutors. inspectors.”
“Federal agents?”
Charlotte paused.
“Yes.”
Agent Brooks and Cole exchanged looks.
That chilled me.
Brooks said, “Then how do you know we’re safe?”
“I don’t.”
“Yet you called us.”
“I called Grace.”
Everyone looked at me.
Charlotte continued.
“Grace is the only person in this mess who has nothing to gain.”
I felt uncomfortable.
“You kidnapped my sister.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t act like you trust me.”
“I trust your motive.”
“What motive?”
“You protected Mia when everyone else watched.”
I looked toward the lobby through the glass.
Charlotte had clearly seen footage before it was erased.
“What do you want from me?”
“To help me deliver the drive.”
“To who?”
“A journalist.”
Agent Brooks immediately said, “No.”
Charlotte ignored her.
“Her name is Evelyn Hart. Chicago Tribune.”
Brooks said, “Evidence needs to come to law enforcement.”
Charlotte laughed.
“That worked beautifully for my mother for fifteen years.”
“You don’t know who’s compromised.”
“Exactly.”
Ruiz leaned toward the phone.
“If the drive contains evidence of crimes, public release could endanger witnesses.”
“I won’t release everything.”
“Then meet us.”
“No.”
“Charlotte.”
“Detective, one of the names on that drive belongs to someone who has been standing near you tonight.”
Nobody breathed.
Ruiz looked slowly around the room.
“Who?”
Charlotte answered.
“If I knew, I’d tell you.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“The file uses initials and payment codes.”
Brooks asked, “What initials?”
Charlotte said nothing.
“Charlotte?”
Then she answered.
“E.R.”
Detective Elena Ruiz.
The room went silent.
Ruiz’s face changed.
Anna stared at her.
Agent Cole instinctively moved.
Ruiz noticed.
“You think that’s me?”
Cole didn’t answer.
Ruiz looked furious.
“My initials are E.R.”
Charlotte said, “I know.”
“Then why call me?”
“Because my mother is smart enough to frame innocent people.”
Ruiz laughed once.
Bitterly.
“Of course.”
Brooks asked, “What was the payment amount?”
“Two hundred thousand dollars over three years.”
Ruiz turned to Brooks.
“I don’t have two hundred thousand dollars.”
“That’s not proof.”
“I know.”
Her voice was tight.
Brooks made a decision.
“Elena, until we verify it, you need to step away.”
Ruiz stared at her.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
Ruiz looked devastated.
But she nodded.
“All right.”
She placed her badge and weapon on the desk.
Anna whispered, “This is insane.”
Ruiz walked toward the door.
Then stopped beside me.
“Stay with Mia.”
“I will.”
“And don’t trust anyone.”
“Even you?”
Ruiz looked at me.
“Especially me, until you know.”
Then she left.
My stomach twisted.
An hour earlier, Ruiz had been the person I trusted most.
Now she was gone.
Charlotte called again.
This time only me.
Agent Brooks recorded it.
“Grace, take Mia and Caroline somewhere public.”
“Why?”
“Because the hospital isn’t safe.”
“Where?”
“The lobby.”
“What lobby?”
“Your hotel.”
I frowned.
“That’s where this started.”
“Exactly.”
“What are you planning?”
“A trade.”
“For what?”
“My mother.”
I felt cold.
“Victoria?”
“She’s being released.”
“What?”
Agent Brooks’s head snapped toward me.
Charlotte continued.
“Her attorneys convinced police they lacked grounds to hold her after the footage disappeared.”
Brooks immediately checked her phone.
Her face changed.
Charlotte was right.
Victoria was being released pending further investigation.
Mia had accused her.
But the deleted security footage weakened the case.
And Daniel was taking responsibility for the physical restraint of Caroline.
He claimed Victoria believed Mia had stolen property.
A carefully constructed lie.
“What do you want us to do?”
“Bring Caroline and Mia to the hotel.”
“I’m not using them as bait.”
“I don’t want them as bait.”
“Then why?”
“Because Victoria will come.”
“How do you know?”
“She still thinks Mia has the key to the second copy.”
“The key?”
“Yes.”
“But the key opened the basement room.”
Charlotte paused.
“What?”
I realized she hadn’t known.
“Mia’s key opened the room where Caroline was hidden.”
Silence.
Then Charlotte whispered, “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father gave Caroline that key.”
My heart stopped.
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew Victoria was going after her.”
Nothing made sense anymore.
“Richard helped Caroline?”
“He tried.”
“Then why did he later threaten her?”
Charlotte sighed.
“Because fear makes cowards of people.”
I thought about the recording.
Richard may have wanted out.
But when Caroline witnessed the truth, he still chose himself.
Charlotte continued.
“My father gave Caroline the basement key and told her to leave through the old tunnels.”
“But she was captured.”
“Yes.”
“By Victoria.”
“Yes.”
“Then why hide her in the room Richard told her to use?”
“Because my mother didn’t know the room had a passage.”
I remembered the hidden panel.
Caroline had been tied inside the corridor.
Maybe she had nearly escaped.
Charlotte said, “There’s something else in that old records room.”
“What?”
“A safe.”
Mr. Bennett looked at me.
I repeated it aloud.
His face changed.
“I never saw a safe.”
Charlotte continued.
“It’s behind the east wall.”
“What’s inside?”
“Original contracts.”
“Proof?”
“Enough to end my mother.”
“Then why do you need Caroline’s drive?”
“Because the contracts show corruption.”
“And the drive?”
“Shows murder.”
My blood ran cold.
Charlotte said, “At 2:00 a.m., Victoria will come to the hotel.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I invited her.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That Mia gave me the key.”
I looked at Agent Brooks.
She shook her head firmly.
No.
Charlotte heard the silence.
“You can refuse.”
“Then what?”
“My mother walks.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’ve watched her walk for fifteen years.”
The call ended.
Agent Brooks immediately said, “Absolutely not.”
Anna agreed.
“Finally, someone sensible.”
But Mr. Bennett stared toward the basement corridor.
“What if there really is a safe?”
Brooks looked at him.
“We get a warrant.”
“How long?”
“Not long.”
“But if Victoria knows about it—”
“She doesn’t.”
“We hope.”
I thought about Mia.
About Caroline.
About my sister.
About all those families in those buildings.
Then I looked at Brooks.
“We don’t need Mia downstairs.”
“No.”
“We don’t need Caroline.”
“No.”
“We only need Victoria to believe they’re here.”
Brooks stared at me.
Anna shook her head.
“Grace.”
I ignored her.
“Charlotte wants a trap.”
Brooks said nothing.
“We can make one safer than hers.”
Anna grabbed my arm.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably.”
“Great.”
I looked at Brooks.
“Can you keep Victoria from leaving if she incriminates herself?”
“Yes.”
“Can you secure the hotel?”
“Yes.”
“Then let her come.”
Brooks studied me.
“You’re suggesting we use Charlotte’s plan.”
“No.”
May you like
I looked toward the lobby where I had first seen Mia screaming for help.
“I’m suggesting we finish what started here.”
