Beatrice sat beside him.
"How did they know about the ledger?"
"I don’t know."
"You said Morrow divides information."
"Yes."
"Then someone close to me knows."
"Probably."
She looked at him.
"You say things like that too calmly."
"I've learned that panic rarely improves a situation."
"You've also learned how to threaten people."
"That helps."
Despite herself, she smiled.
Dante noticed.
"Better?"
"No."
"Almost."
They reached Beatrice's apartment building.
Dante stopped before the entrance.
"Stay here."
"I’m coming."
"No."
"It's my apartment."
"Exactly."
He looked at the building.
"Someone may be inside."
"Then you're not going alone."
For several seconds they stared at each other.
Dante sighed.
"Fine. Stay behind me."
They entered.
The lobby looked normal.
Too normal.
The security guard was watching television.
A delivery man stood beside the elevator.
Dante stopped.
"Where is the maintenance exit?"
The guard pointed.
"Down the hall."
Dante led Beatrice through it.
They entered the building from the rear stairwell and climbed quietly.
On the fourth floor, Dante noticed the door to Beatrice's apartment was slightly open.
She swallowed.
"I locked that."
"I know."
Dante drew a weapon.
Beatrice stared.
"You carry that everywhere?"
"Not everywhere."
"Comforting."
He opened the door.
The apartment had been searched.
Drawers emptied.
Books thrown across the floor.
Cushions cut open.
The loose floorboard had been removed.
The ledger was gone.
Beatrice stood frozen.
Then she noticed something on the table.
A photograph.
Maggie.
She was sitting in the coffee shop on 73rd Street.
But the photograph was recent.
Very recent.
On the back, someone had written:
SHE IS SAFE.
FOR NOW.
Beatrice grabbed the photograph.
Dante stopped her.
"Don't touch it."
She pulled her hand away.
"You said she was being protected."
"She is."
"Then why send me this?"
"Because they know we're protecting her."
A phone vibrated.
Not Beatrice's.
Dante looked at his.
A message from Luca.
Maggie is safe. Moving her now.
Another message followed.
We found the photographer.
Beatrice leaned closer.
"Who?"
Dante read the name.
His expression changed.
"Charles's assistant."
Beatrice stared.
"Emily?"
"Yes."
"She wouldn't."
"We don’t know that yet."
Minutes later, they found Emily in the underground parking garage.
She was crying.
Dante kept his distance.
"Where is the ledger?"
Emily shook her head.
"I don’t have it."
"Who does?"
"I don’t know."
"Then tell me why you photographed Beatrice."
"I didn’t."
Dante showed her the photograph.
Emily stared.
"I've never seen that."
Beatrice stepped forward.
"Emily, look at me."
Emily did.
"You helped me when I started here."
"I know."
"You know Maggie."
"Yes."
"Then tell me what happened."
Emily began crying harder.
"Three months ago, a man came to my apartment."
"What man?"
"He called himself Morrow."
Dante exchanged a glance with Beatrice.
"What did he want?"
"Access."
"To what?"
"Your files."
Emily looked at Beatrice.
"He said you had found something."
"The ledger."
"Yes."
Beatrice's voice lowered.
"What did you give him?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I refused."
Emily pulled a small drive from her coat.
"But I copied something before I refused."
Dante took it.
"What is it?"
"Security footage."
He connected it to his phone.
A video opened.
The footage showed Beatrice's office three months earlier.
Emily was there.
Charles was there.
And another man.
Beatrice leaned closer.
The man's face was partially hidden.
Then he turned.
She recognized him.
Her breath stopped.
"That's Victor Hale."
Charles had said Victor Hale was dead.
Dante watched the footage twice.
"He's alive."
Emily nodded.
"And he's not working alone."
The video continued.
Victor handed Charles a document.
Charles read it.
Then he looked toward the camera.
Directly at it.
As if he knew someone would someday watch the recording.
The screen went black.
A message appeared.
YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO FIND THIS.
Beatrice stared at Dante.
"What now?"
Dante was silent.
Then his phone rang.
Charles.
Dante answered.
Charles's voice was barely audible.
"Don't trust the police."
"Why?"
"Because Morrow owns them."
The line went dead.
A second later, every light in the parking garage went out.
Beatrice heard footsteps.
One pair.
Then two.
Then many.
Dante grabbed her hand.
"Run."
They sprinted toward the exit.
A gunshot cracked behind them.
Emily screamed.
Dante pushed Beatrice through the door.
They stumbled into the alley.
Rain had begun falling.
Behind them, the garage filled with shadows.
Dante looked back.
Then at Beatrice.
"The ledger isn't the real secret."
"What is?"
He held up the drive.
"The ledger is only a map."
"A map to what?"
Dante looked toward the city.
"To everyone who belongs to Morrow."
Beatrice felt the world tilt.
"And if we have the map?"
"Then they will come for us."
"How many?"
Dante's expression was grim.
"Enough to start a war."
======================================================================
PART 4
======================================================================
PART FOUR — THE LAST NAME
They spent the night in an abandoned hotel owned by one of Dante's companies.
No signs.
No staff.
No records.
Only a single room on the top floor.
Beatrice sat beside the window while Dante studied the files.
The city was silent below them.
"You should sleep," he said.