Chapter 4 - The Last Night On the drive to Storage Unit 218, I remembered the last night Claire had ever stood in my house.
She had arrived furious.
Still wearing her company badge.
"Vanessa has access to Dad's trust portal," Claire told me.
Vanessa laughed from the dining room.
"I'm your brother's wife. I help with family finances."
Claire ignored her.
"Someone approved nineteen million dollars in consulting transfers using my credentials."
I was exhausted.
Our father had died six months earlier.
The company was collapsing under the weight of a disastrous acquisition.
I wanted peace.
Claire wanted war.
"Talk to Elliot," I told her.
"Elliot is part of it."
"Then bring me proof."
She stared at me.
"Daniel, I'm trying to keep you from becoming proof."
I didn't understand.
I didn't ask her to explain.
That was the last real conversation we ever had.
The next morning, Claire was gone.
At Storage Unit 218, we found a black duffel bag.
Her passport.
Cash.
Two sweaters.
Her silver compass necklace.
And a metal lockbox.
Empty.
Someone had removed the evidence.
Then Detective Ruiz found fresh tire marks behind the building.
Blue paint was scraped across the emergency exit.
The same blue as the sedan outside my house.
My phone vibrated.
An email from Claire's account.
Subject:
YOU STILL DON'T LISTEN.
The message contained one sentence.
Daniel, Marcus is going to kill you too.
Ruiz read it.
Then she looked at me.
"Who's Marcus?"
I answered.
"Our father's doctor."
May you like
She stared toward the parking lot.
"Then we're about to have a very long night."
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