“We’re not here to cause trouble,” I assure him, though my fingers are itching to grab my Glock and dig the barrel into his temple. “Fletcher’s dead, but he left something important in his box and I’d like to retrieve it.”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you, Mr. Willard.”
There’s the resistance Broadway wanted.
“I don’t suppose Alex will have much use for it now so how about you tell me what it’ll take to make this happen without any unnecessary complications,” I insist. “Holding a deposit box here isn’t cheap,” I continue. “A dead man won’t pay any fees. I’m sure if we made a big enough donation to your security fund we could come to some arrangement about accessing his box.”
“I don’t think we understand each other, Mr. Willard. As generous as your offer sounds, I can’t help you because there is no deposit box here under the name of Alex Fletcher.”
Even though a part of me considered that scenario from the start, the confirmation and shattered possibility hits me like a physical blow, instantly deflating the tension.
My hands ball in and out of tight fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. I left Hailey in Chicago for nothing. While I trust Dante with my life, I hate not having Hailey close.
Broadway swears loudly, distracting Chen for a split second before his attention turns back to me.
“Is that all?” he asks.
I grind my teeth, staring him down, my hand slipping to the Glock hidden under my leather jacket.
“I assure you, Mr. Willard, I have no reason to lie. Here.” He turns his computer screen my way.
Beneath a search bar showingAlex Fletcheris a bold sentence stating there are no available records.
“Check underHailey Vaughn,” I order.
Chen pauses, then nods, turning the screen back around. His fingers poke at the keyboard so fucking slowly it makes me clench my teeth to stop from ripping it out of his hands and handing it to Ryder. It takes a few seconds at most, I’m sure, but the wait is torturous, each second lasting a day.
“There’s no deposit box underHaileyVaughn either.”
The disappointment is a bitter pill, the lead weighing down my stomach a stark contrast to the adrenaline that’s fueled me since Hailey’s flashback. The atmosphere shifts from tense anticipation to frustration. Even Broadway’s whining’s ceased, replaced by silent, seething disappointment.
Refusing to leave empty-handed, I pull an envelope stuffed with cash from my jacket and slide it across the table toward the manager. “I want to see the security footage from August twenty-seventh, between nine and ten pm.”
Chen cocks an eyebrow. “Mr. Willard, our establishment closes at six pm, there would be no footage from—”
“Who are you fooling? I know you operate after hours by appointment. Get me the footage.”
A moment of silent standoff ensues, Chen quickly yields when he checks the envelope.
“Very well. Give me a minute.”
I’m perfectly aware I’m grasping at straws right now, but I’m not leaving any stones unturned.
Chen leaves and the moment the door clicks shut, the control I’ve been clinging to starts crumbling.
“Fuck,” Broadway mutters, breaking the silence. “This was supposed to be it. The big lead. It made perfect sense. Why else would Alex stop one street over?”
“Obviously we got it wrong,” I mutter, massaging my temples, sick and fucking tired of this game. “Let’s see what Chen comes back with. If there’s any footage from that night, it could lead us somewhere.”
“And if there’s nothing?” Broadway questions, his frustration mirroring mine.
“Then we pivot.” Like we’ve been doing since the start. “We go through everything we have, see if we missed anything that could point us in a new direction or trigger another memory from Hailey. The evidence issomewhere. If Rhett’s right, she knows where. It didn’t just disappear.”
I clench my teeth, sick of the lies and secrets—and Hailey’s incomplete memories.
Everything boils down to her. She’s a Queen on the chessboard, a key to this mess, a cage for my heart.
I hate that she’s the epicenter. And I fucking hate that she’s three hours away from me. Koby’s with her. Dante’s there too, along with a dozen armed men, butIshould be keeping her safe.
