Chapter 5 - Smoke over Harbor Street

By the time they reached Harbor Street, smoke was crawling along the river like a low black tide. Firefighters had sealed the block. Evelyn jumped out of Noah's truck before he finished parking.

"My father worked here," she told the captain. "There may be records inside."

"And there may be a roof coming down. Stay behind the line."

A security camera swung slowly from its snapped cable. The side door had been forced, but the flames were concentrated near a vacant storage room. Noah pointed to a van disappearing down the lane. Its back plate was hidden under mud.

"I saw that at the hotel service entrance," Rosa said.

"You're sure?"

"Blue dent above the left light. I'm sure."

Evelyn took a photo. She had learned years ago that panic was expensive and details were free.

A firefighter emerged carrying a scorched metal cashbox. "This was near the door. Name on it says Hart."

Inside were payroll stubs, an old thumb drive, and a child's drawing of the warehouse, signed EVIE, AGE NINE. Evelyn's throat closed.

Marcus examined the thumb drive. "Thomas never trusted the cloud."

"Then let's find a laptop."

Before they could leave, a black sedan stopped beyond the barricade. Vivian stepped out, her dark dress hidden beneath a long coat.

"Don't open that," she called.

Noah moved in front of Evelyn. "You have some nerve showing up."

Vivian ignored him. "If you open it, they'll come after all of us."

"Who are 'they'?" Evelyn asked.

Vivian's jaw trembled. "My mother doesn't know I came."

"You expect me to believe you're scared of Celeste?"

Vivian took one step closer. "I expect you to believe the man you were about to marry knows exactly what happened to your father."

A phone in Vivian's pocket buzzed. She glanced at its message and began backing away.

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A firefighter guided Rosa to the curb and gave her a foil blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders even though she wasn't cold. Evelyn watched the brave woman suddenly look exhausted. 'You can go home,' she told her. Rosa shook her head. 'Home is where I sit and wonder what I should've done. I'd rather stay here and actually do it.' Evelyn never forgot that answer.

"It's too late," she whispered. "They already have Noah's address."