Chapter 6 - Locker 317The locker contained no blue box.
It contained money.
Thirty thousand dollars in cash.
A disposable phone.
And a photograph of Marcus.
Marcus stared at his own face.
The picture had been taken three weeks earlier outside his apartment.
Emily stood beside him at Union Station.
“Why do they have your picture?”
“Good question.”
Lena looked through the locker without touching anything until police processed it.
The disposable phone contained one message.
IF KANE FINDS THE GIRL, CALL BEFORE HE REACHES RICHARD.
Marcus felt anger rise.
Someone had been watching him before tonight.
That meant Emily’s appearance at the hotel was not entirely unexpected.
Maybe Anna’s death triggered something.
Maybe somebody monitored the motel.
Maybe somebody knew she had sent Emily toward Beverly Hills.
Emily whispered:
“My mom told me to come.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
“She gave me the hotel address.”
“Why didn’t you say that?”
“You didn’t ask.”
Fair.
Emily explained.
Two nights before Anna died, she told Emily that if things became impossible, she should take the violin to the Beverly Hills Grand.
Not Richard.
The hotel.
“Mom said someone would eventually recognize it.”
Victor had.
Or the gray-suited man had.
Marcus looked at the violin differently.
It was not merely proof.
It was bait.
Anna knew someone connected to the old family would identify it.
The question was whether she expected Marcus.
Or her enemy.
They returned to the hotel after midnight.
Richard had canceled the gala.
Official explanation: security issue.
Privately, he had locked down executive access.
Victor remained missing.
Paul traced the motel keycard.
Issued three days ago.
Executive master card.
Only six people had authorization.
Victor was not one.
Marcus studied the list.
Richard Hale.
Paul Mercer.
Chief Operating Officer Evelyn Shaw.
Chief Financial Officer Grant Vale.
Family attorney Raymond Cross.
And board chairman Samuel Hale.
Marcus stopped.
Samuel.
Thomas Hale’s son.
Richard’s nephew.
Anna’s cousin.
Forty-one now.
The gray suit at the gala?
Marcus pulled his photograph.
Golden hawk pin.
Emily leaned closer.
“That’s him.”
Marcus’s stomach tightened.
“He’s the man you saw before Victor approached?”
“Yes.”
Samuel Hale.
The person who had benefited most from Anna’s disappearance.
With Anna gone, Samuel became the likely successor to Richard.
If Emily was legally recognized, trust provisions might change.
Marcus did not yet know how.
But money had a smell.
Samuel entered the room ten minutes later.
Richard had summoned every senior executive.
He saw Emily.
And smiled.
Marcus felt Anna’s letter like ice against his chest.
Especially not the person who smiles first when they see her.
Samuel opened his arms slightly.
“My God.”
Emily moved behind Marcus.
Samuel stopped.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Richard stared.
“You knew who she was?”
Samuel looked confused.
“What?”
“You saw her in the ballroom.”
Samuel hesitated.
“A child with an antique instrument.”
“You spoke to Victor.”
Samuel’s face changed by a fraction.
“About gala security.”
Emily said:
“You pointed at me.”
Samuel looked at her.
“No, sweetheart—”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Don’t call her that.”
Samuel’s smile vanished.
Richard watched.
“Did you tell Victor to approach Emily?”
“No.”
“Did you recognize the violin?”
Samuel laughed softly.
“Uncle Richard, this is becoming absurd.”
Richard said nothing.
Samuel’s eyes moved to the instrument.
Marcus saw recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“You’ve seen it before.”
“No.”
“You looked at the silver plate.”
Samuel stopped.
Richard’s voice became quiet.
“That violin belonged to Anna.”
Samuel’s jaw tightened.
“I know what Anna’s violin looked like.”
“No,” Richard said.
“It didn’t.”
Marcus looked at him.
Richard continued.
“Anna’s original violin was destroyed in a car accident when she was sixteen.”
Emily stared.
“But Mom said this was hers.”
“It was.”
Richard approached slowly.
“I commissioned this one for her twenty-first birthday.”
Samuel looked away.
Richard saw it.
“You shouldn’t know it.”
Samuel snapped:
“I saw family photographs.”
“No photographs exist.”
Silence.
Richard had kept the commission private because Anna hated family spectacle.
Only five people knew.
Richard.
Anna.
Marcus.
The luthier.
And Thomas Hale.
Samuel’s father.
Samuel’s face hardened.
“So my father told me.”
“Maybe.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“Or you’ve seen it more recently.”
Samuel looked at him.
“You always were dramatic.”
“Where’s the Blue Ledger?”
The color left Samuel’s face.
Richard stood.
“What?”
Marcus watched Samuel.
He had his answer.
May you like
Not the location.
But the fact that Samuel knew exactly what they were asking about.
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