The empire he stole from me

epped into the Ellery Grand was

ption desk. But the new RUSK INTERNATIONAL emblem occupied the space where ELLERY GRAND had s

ed bene

e. He knew which rooms had the best views, which guests preferred their coffee b

wasn't even wo

e you che

ist's voice p

'm here for the ann

tablet in front o

n Ell

rs stoppe

ollowed by uncertainty. My surname still had that effect on p

overed

elcome to the

ost l

nk y

ds the ballroom. I walked away before she could decide whet

on was alre

nts over glasses of champagne. Women in expensive dresses laughed at jok

ng was b

r with money my father neve

ater from a passing wai

sk wasn't

e. I hadn't

dministrative floor. The original executive office was still t

d been replaced, the furniture changed, and my fath

ecords room w

ealed by a wooden wall panel. My father used to keep original contracts and property

pos

nt bearing my father's signature. It was dated two days after the trans

d been in co

't have s

ish where the original document was kept

s on a passing tray and he

ard stood at

loor is restricte

g for the l

s down

olitely. "

turne

. While the guard was occupied checking their invitations

d floor w

without looking at the signs. The carpet had changed, but t

ed for

ck

cou

my clutch. It wasn't sophisticated, but I had practis

hanism

e and closed th

lves lined one wall, filled with neatly labelled archi

kly, checkin

l transfers. Prope

rked ELLERY HOSPITALI

ightened aro

ted t

old agreements. I searched through them until I found

andwriting wa

DO NOT

t, I forgot

ened

transactions between Ellery Hospitality and several compan

photocopy of a s

d it

n a

stantial sum from one of our hotel accounts i

at the bottom wa

Gideon

rd creaked

urn

money alone couldn't explain. He was taller than I remembered from the courtroom

on R

ned what I would say when I

those wo

from the enve

supposed to

gers to relax a

y the same

ssion did

is my

mpany logo on my

shifted in

gnit

e room and closed

n Ell

tighten. He said it without surprise, as if

you reme

ber your

ember what yo

at the docum

id you f

You didn't ask

now exactly

tbeat s

k

known a

n perhaps you can explain why your signature is o

w tigh

e the d

y. "You really

l walking into situatio

atience with ign

time, his expr

hould

plann

ide before I reached him. He wasn't trying

ping the envelope

e thing,

top

you been back

g en

sn't my

im. "And I don't o

mine for sev

d be careful about what

ough my hand

ch coming

before he c

enough for me to think clearly. I hadn't found everything

's sig

saw it told me there was a reas

lanning how to authenticate the copy and

ne vib

haniel Cross appea

find a

ck towards t

I'll explai

ame almost

k yet. We need pro

twice before putt

risks better than anyone. Still, I didn't like being told what t

el doors and stepped int

ery Grand shone ag

lieved Gideon Rusk took e

of that he had tak

t discovered t