Chapter 8 - THE STORAGE UNIT
Thomas wanted to call the police.
Amy wanted answers.
They compromised.
Police first.
Answers second.
By noon, local authorities had reached the Newark storage facility.
Vanessa was gone.
But they found blood.
And a broken phone.
Daniel arrived twenty minutes later.
Amy saw him through the windshield before he saw her.
He looked terrible.
Same tuxedo pants from the gala.
White shirt with rolled sleeves.
No tie.
Hair uncombed.
He had probably not slept.
Good, a small cruel part of her thought.
Then she hated herself for thinking it.
Daniel spotted the car.
He stopped.
Amy could see him fighting the urge to run toward her.
He didn’t.
That mattered.
Thomas looked at Amy.
“Your choice.”
Amy opened the door.
Daniel stayed where he was.
Ten feet between them.
It felt like ten miles.
His eyes moved immediately to her stomach.
The pregnancy wasn’t obvious beneath her loose coat.
Still, he looked.
Amy folded her arms.
“Don’t.”
“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m trying to be.”
She studied him.
A bruise darkened one knuckle.
“You hit Ryan.”
“Yes.”
“Stupid.”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve killed him.”
“I know.”
“There’s that phrase again.”
Daniel looked down.
Amy almost softened.
Almost.
Then she remembered Vanessa on the dance floor.
“What did police find?”
Daniel shifted back into business mode.
“Blood type matches Vanessa.”
“How do they know already?”
“Hospital records.”
“Of course.”
He winced.
“Bad choice of words.”
“Very.”
Thomas approached.
“Police found a second exit.”
Daniel nodded.
“Security footage?”
“Wiped.”
“Inside job?”
“Looks like it.”
Amy looked between them.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Daniel’s face tightened.
Thomas glanced at him.
Amy snapped, “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” Daniel asked.
“Men looking at each other before deciding what the pregnant woman can handle.”
Thomas actually stepped back.
Daniel sighed.
“Ryan woke up.”
Amy went still.
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“What did he say?”
“He asked for you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel’s jaw flexed.
“He says the anonymous source is his sister.”
Amy frowned.
“I didn’t know Ryan had a sister.”
“Neither did I.”
“That’s comforting.”
“Her name is Julia Mercer. Investigative accountant.”
“And she’s been texting me?”
“Apparently.”
Amy’s phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She showed them.
Don’t let Daniel take you to the hospital. Someone on his board is feeding Blackwell information.
Daniel read it.
His face hardened.
“Julia doesn’t trust me.”
“Should she?”
He looked at Amy.
“I’d like to think so.”
“So would I.”
That landed.
Daniel looked away.
Thomas interrupted.
“We need to move.”
“Where?” Amy asked.
“Somewhere not connected to Daniel.”
Amy smiled without humor.
“That eliminates half the East Coast.”
Daniel didn’t argue.
Instead he said, “Use my apartment in Brooklyn.”
Amy stared at him.
“You have an apartment in Brooklyn?”
“Company property.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“You never needed to.”
Amy’s face changed.
Daniel corrected himself instantly.
“That sounded bad.”
“It sounded like you.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Amy, I’m trying.”
“Try quieter.”
Thomas coughed to hide a laugh.
Daniel shot him a look.
For one second, things almost felt normal.
Then Amy remembered nothing was normal.
Her phone buzzed again.
Julia.
Ryan said there’s a file called HARRISON FAMILY. It isn’t about the company. It’s about your baby.
Amy’s stomach dropped.
Daniel saw her face.
“What?”
She handed him the phone.
His eyes moved across the message.
Then stopped.
For the first time since arriving, Daniel looked genuinely afraid.
“What does that mean?” Amy asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Daniel?”
He looked at her.
May you like
And Amy knew.
He had seen that file name before.
