Chapter 3 - Vincent's Name
Vincent stared at his own name on the screen.
For the first time in twelve years, Dominic saw genuine fear in his head of security.
Not fear of being punished.
Fear of not being believed.
"I didn't do that," Vincent said.
Dominic remained still.
"My credential requires a rotating code from my phone."
"Where was your phone yesterday at four-thirteen?"
"On me."
"All day?"
Vincent's eyes narrowed as he searched his memory.
Then he swore.
"The gym."
Dominic said nothing.
"I left it in the locker while I showered after sparring. Eight minutes, maybe ten."
"Who knew?"
"Half the security team knows my routine."
The door opened.
A young guard stepped in. "Mr. Vale, Mrs. Rowan is asking for you."
"Why?"
"She says someone went through her room."
Dominic was moving before the sentence ended.
Pain stabbed his leg, but anger carried him faster than the cane.
The guest suite was on the second floor. Clare stood beside an overturned handbag. Her wallet, keys, and a small envelope were scattered across the carpet.
Ellie sat on the bed hugging her wooden latch board.
"I didn't touch anything," Clare said. "I took Ellie to wash her hands. We were gone maybe three minutes."
Dominic scanned the room.
Nothing looked stolen.
That was worse.
"What was in the envelope?"
Clare looked confused. "Cash. Two hundred dollars. It's still there."
Vincent checked the bathroom and closet.
Dominic crouched near the handbag.
A folded piece of paper lay half under the dresser.
He picked it up.
It was not Clare's.
It was a printed medication chart with his name at the top.
Mercer entered behind them and took one look at it.
"Where did you get that?"
"Here."
Mercer's expression drained.
Dominic unfolded the sheet fully.
His prescribed anti-inflammatory dose had been crossed out by hand.
A second drug had been added.
"What is this?" he asked.
Mercer took the page carefully. "Gabapentin. It can be used for nerve pain."
"I'm not taking gabapentin."
"Not according to my orders."
Clare whispered, "Then why is it on that list?"
Mercer stared at the dosage.
"Because at this amount, combined with some of your other medication, it could make you dizzy. Unsteady. Foggy."
Dominic remembered the morning two weeks earlier when he nearly fell in the shower.
The afternoon he had lost track of a conversation with his attorney.
Arthur had been there both times.
Vincent looked at Clare. "Who has access to this room?"
"Housekeeping, security, management."
Clare's face tightened. "You think somebody put that paper here to make it look like I stole it."
"Or to make us find it," Dominic said.
Ellie suddenly climbed off the bed.
She walked toward the nightstand and pointed beneath it.
"That was blinking."
Vincent dropped to one knee and reached under the furniture.
His fingers closed around a black plastic device no bigger than a coin.
A tiny microphone.
Someone had bugged the room.
Then Vincent's radio crackled.
"Sir, we have a problem in the garage."
"What problem?"
May you like
A guard answered, breathless.
"Dr. Mercer's car just exploded."
