Chapter 2 - The Woman at the Service Door

Gideon read the note three times. “My daughter wrote this,” he said.

“Or somebody copied her writing,” Celeste answered too quickly. “Call security.”

The head of security, Mateo Ruiz, was already approaching. Before Celeste could point at the child, a woman in black catering clothes pushed through the service door.

“Ivy!”

Nora Reed hurried across the room with flour on one sleeve and a burn across the back of her wrist. She dropped to her knees beside the piano bench.

“Are you hurt?”

“No. I played it, Mom.”

Nora shut her eyes. “I know, honey.”

Celeste folded her arms. “So this was planned.”

“Yes,” Nora said, standing. Her voice shook, but she didn't look away. “I've been trying to reach Mr. Whitcomb for eight months. Your office returned my letters unopened.”

“My office receives hundreds of letters from people asking for money.”

“I never asked for money.”

Gideon held up the note. “Where did you get this?”

“From Lydia.”

Nora was thirty-eight. She had tired eyes, cheap shoes, and the posture of somebody used to protecting a person smaller than herself. “Lydia died in November 2016,” he said.

“I know. I was there the night she left the hospital with her daughter.”

Celeste stepped between them. “Enough. Mateo, remove this woman.”

Mateo hesitated. Gideon looked him in the eye.

“Nobody touches either of them.”

Celeste's voice sharpened. “You're embarrassing yourself in front of our donors.”

“Then they can go home.”

Nora reached for Ivy's hand. “We should speak somewhere private.”

“Of course,” Gideon said.

But Celeste grabbed Nora's wrist hard enough to make her wince.

“You don't understand what you're doing,” Celeste whispered.

Nora pulled free. “I understand exactly what you did.”

At the piano, Ivy tugged Gideon's jacket.

“The lady in pink came to our apartment last week,” she said. “She told Mom she'd make me disappear if we came tonight.”

Gideon turned to his wife.

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Celeste stared back, her smile gone.

Then Ivy added, “I know her voice because she was on the recording from the night my other mommy died.”