Chapter 10 - The Name at the Bottom
Nico stared at his signature until the letters stopped looking like his name.
"I signed that contract five years ago," he said. "I remember the meeting. Gideon told me we'd be hiring local people at full wages."
"You didn't read the attachment?" Simone asked.
"I read the summary."
"So you didn't read the attachment."
He could explain the chaotic week of his father's funeral. None of it helped Mara.
"I didn't," he said.
Simone slid the paper into an evidence sleeve. "That signature let the system start. You don't get to undo it by being useful tonight."
"I know."
Dahlia received a call from the engineer who had pulled the old basement plans. His voice shook.
"There's a concealed freight tunnel under the loading dock. It isn't on the digital blueprint. It leads to a private curb where trucks can load without appearing on the hotel's front cameras."
"Where are you?" Dahlia asked.
"At home. But a black SUV has been outside since I opened the file."
She told him to leave the line open and called the detective assigned to his district.
Before she could relay the address, the engineer cried out. A crash sounded over the speaker, followed by the flat tone of a disconnected call.
"Send units," Simone said. "Now."
Nico was already at the door.
"You stay here," she ordered.
"Someone just got hurt because he helped us."
"And another person will get hurt if you turn every emergency into your personal rescue mission."
He stopped. It took effort, and Simone saw it.
At dawn, Gideon appeared on a television screen in the station lobby. He stood outside Ashford House, telling reporters there had been an "isolated employee dispute" and that the family was cooperating fully.
He then announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to Mara Reed's safe return.
May you like
Dahlia's phone buzzed with a new message from the kidnapper.
The reward is a trap. Come to the port without police, or Mara disappears for real.
