“Victoria’s father wrote to Sienna,” Tom said slowly. “And Victoria kept the letter from her.”
“We believe so,” Holt said.
“And you have security footage of Alfred loading Sienna’s safe into Victoria’s car.” Tom’s disbelief was growing by the minute.
“Yes.” Holt nodded.
Tom rubbed his jaw. “I didn’t know any of this,” he said. “I want you to know that. Whatever you’re thinking right now, I genuinely didn’t know.”
“I know you didn’t,” Holt told him, and he meant it.
“Her townhouse in Miami,” Tom said suddenly. “Have you tried it?” His eyes widened. “She could be hiding out there.”
“We’ve got officers going around there looking for her,” June advised Tom. “But we don’t think she’d be there. If Victoria is behind all this, she’d definitely know not to go to the first place we’d look.”
“What about Nigel Frost?” Tom asked. “Or his father? Alvin would know where Victoria might go if she needed to disappear.Those two have always been closer than they should’ve been after we were married.”
“We’ve been trying to reach both of them,” Holt replied. “Nigel’s phone is dead. The department he was transferring to says he’s deferred his start date. Alvin isn’t returning calls.”
Tom absorbed that. His jaw tightened in a way that Holt recognized as the expression of a man arriving at an uncomfortable conclusion.
“Tom,” Holt said. “I need to search this property. I can come back with a warrant if necessary.”
Tom shook his head immediately. “That won’t be necessary. Search whatever you need to.” He stood up. “I haven’t been living here for the past year. I’ve been at the Sandpiper Inn since the divorce proceedings started.” He looked at Holt. “You’ll need to go through my room there as well, I imagine.”
“We will,” Holt confirmed. “I’d appreciate your cooperation on that as well.”
“You have it,” Tom said simply. “Whatever you need.” He paused. “I’d also ask that you keep me informed. Victoria is still my children’s mother regardless of everything else.”
“I understand,” Holt said. “I’d also ask that you take some leave from the station while we’re investigating. Given the circumstances, it’s the right thing for everyone.”
Tom nodded slowly. “Agreed,” he said. “I’ll arrange it first thing tomorrow.”
They walked back out into the hallway together.
“I’ll arrange a team to come through your house and your room at the Sandpiper Inn.” Holt’s eyes moved across the entrance hall automatically, the way they always did in a space he was treating as a potential scene. He was taking in the surfaces, the details, the things that were present, and the things that weren’t. The hall table caught his attention. On it sat two envelopes, propped neatly against the decorative bowl that had always held the household mail.
Tom stopped when he saw them. They were addressed to him.
He crossed to the table and picked them up, looking at his name written on the front of each in the formal, precise handwriting of people who wrote letters rather than messages.
Holt watched him open the first one.
Tom read it. His expression changed.
He opened the second one and read it as well.
“They’re both resignation letters,” Tom said, looking at the envelopes again. “From Alfred and Mrs. Clark.” He turned the letters over in his hands. “They’re going to work for Victoria.”
The hallway went completely still.
Holt stood looking at the two letters in Tom’s hands, and something flashed through his mind with the clean, sudden force of a connection that had been waiting to be made. He turned to June.
June was already looking at him.
She’d arrived at the same place at the same moment; he could see it in her face.
Holt and June were going over what they knew:
