HIS FIRST WIFE NEVER LEFT

my marriage, but I couldn't get past the wa

my gaze from the man standing behind my father. No

n Dev

st six months after my father supposedly d

bella. "Where w

An old Moreau office on the eastern sid

hy

ing him. He wanted me to take

id he g

ount number, a

he brass key in my

never go to Adrian. I didn't know what he meant, and I never

ho

ria

e whole room pr

he se

I slipped out through the back. The

stern. "You should

k. "I tried. You just d

his jaw, d

how two people who'd once share

he office?

ight away. "You're

"That wasn'

t the photo, he knows what it means.

ring se

enti

ething. Now, when I want to investigate my own father's d

ression

omething underneath his

ou're fragile,"

treating me

probably because she'd stood in my place before-demanding

d the key

l get the security deta

ve in thirt

this isn't a

marry you because I wanted anot

ilence stretched. Nei

d to Daniel, stan

rity officers. No one e

nodded

back to me. "T

t for once he let

ve felt t

noticed was how

ed commercial buildings, windows filmed wit

n inside sin

. I remember the coffee smell, the scratch of founta

memories belonge

childhood was shaped by a disap

out first, of

n't have to help m

kno

en

se I w

e enough I paused be

d me down, didn't pull me closer-and didn't let

pulle

what my f

alls, floor creaked with every step, layer of dust across the

notic

l," he

officer s

. Don't touch anythin

hall. Dad's nameplate was still on the doo

ushe

oreau," I

stood b

proud

n't get to talk about

d kno

omething I don'

ayed

d open

tered filing cabinet. Nearly

two, empty. Third, just a brok

awer woul

at the ha

ck," Luc

handl

oning you. The lock could be jammed."

y t

pped

thing. Then the

wer sli

nt with a small black recorder, a

eath

ice, holding a briefcase. Beside him

looked younger, maybe twe

oked

you in th

n too

ed so fast I n

remembe

ber standing nex

ng him, just not

ld wer

ent

o. "So you knew him years

es

n't think I

"I should ha

me more than a d

cord, transfer from Meridian Holdings t

ve millio

date-the same day

cie

eane

d the document,

onged to one of A

o you

uring my own

And you were going

we got

not an

s head. "No

for the

caught

ai

d at hi

ed it ri

tered. "Could b

hing for the arrogance he

k it carefu

nod

ked in, holding a smal

was behind

nother p

ss the street. Through the w

six months after

d, feel

back," I

xamined

wants us to

him. "Why

istra

y leave

ans

ne vib

wn nu

ASK YOUR HUSBAND WHY HE WAS THE

read

aised my ey

ready wat

know?"

't say

was e

n, did my father call yo

t the photo

es

seemed

he

ears ago. T

htened. "Wha

s-finally, I saw

ppened, I had to keep y

ved

did you

ouldn't answer. Suddenly,

ice filled the

his, then you made the mista

pa

, do not let Vale

ething I nev

e the reason sh