\u201cConsulting payments,\u201d Sienna said. \u201cCompanies that don\u2019t exist. Garrick told me to delete the files.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miriam snapped, \u201cA wife has no business digging through her husband\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick reached across the table and pressed his hand against Sienna\u2019s injured shoulder. She gasped.<\/p>\n
I caught his wrist. Not hard. I didn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemove your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked amused. \u201cOr what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr you will make the next thirty minutes far worse for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pulled away and laughed. \u201cYou retired prosecutors always think the world still listens to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I knew more than he realized.<\/p>\n
I chaired the trust\u2019s ethics committee. I had already reviewed suspicious vendor payments at Ashford Industries. Each amount looked small on its own, but together they added up to millions. What we lacked was the signature tying the scheme to Garrick.<\/p>\n
Sienna had found it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are the files?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Garrick slammed his palm against the table. \u201cThere are no files.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna looked at the bread basket. I lifted the linen napkin beneath it and found a black flash drive taped to the wicker.<\/p>\n
Miriam shot to her feet. \u201cGive that to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slipped it into my pocket.<\/p>\n
Garrick\u2019s face changed. The charm disappeared, leaving only cold calculation. \u201cYou have no idea what you\u2019re touching,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know exactly what I\u2019m touching.\u201d<\/p>\n
He locked the dining room door. His brother rose behind him. Miriam grabbed Sienna\u2019s phone from the counter and dropped it into her wineglass. The screen hissed and went black.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere,\u201d Miriam said. \u201cNo more recordings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna began to shake. Garrick stepped closer to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will hand over that drive. Then you will tell everyone Sienna fell down the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hospital. Her friends. Anyone who asks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if I refuse?\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled. \u201cYou are seventy-one. Accidents happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at the brass clock. Twenty-two minutes had passed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou targeted the wrong woman,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Garrick barked out a laugh. \u201cSienna?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cMe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I removed my watch and placed it on the table. A tiny green light blinked beneath the face. Miriam went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cState law allows one-party consent,\u201d I said. \u201cEverything said since I entered this room has been transmitted to secure cloud storage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick lunged for the watch. I swept it out of reach and stood. He grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n
Sienna screamed, \u201cDon\u2019t touch her!\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrick shoved me back against the sideboard. Plates crashed to the floor. Pain flashed through my hip, but I stayed upright.<\/p>\n
Then the doorbell rang. Once. Twice.<\/p>\n
Garrick released me and straightened his shirt. \u201cSmile,\u201d he ordered. \u201cAll of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked to the front door with the confidence of a man expecting harmless neighbors. But when he opened it, his smile collapsed.<\/p>\n
Standing on the porch was the chair of Ashford Industries with six board members. Beside them stood Police Commissioner\u00a0Raymond Fletcher<\/b>, two detectives, and Dr. Chen carrying a medical bag.<\/p>\n