Chương 13
She did not call.
Instead, she forwarded the voicemail information to Elena Cho with one sentence.
Maya Torres contacted me from an unfamiliar number and asked me to call her.
Elena replied within two minutes.
Do not return the call.
Thank you for notifying me.
Eve stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
If she contacts you again, preserve it and send it to me.
Eve went upstairs.
At one thirty, Maya called again.
Eve watched the phone vibrate on the desk until it stopped.
No voicemail this time.
At one forty-two, a text appeared.
Please.
Eve got up and walked around the room.
She went to the bathroom.
Came back.
Checked the phone.
Another text.
They locked me out of everything.
That changed the shape of the situation.
Eve sat down.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
Do not engage.
She could hear Daniel saying it.
She forwarded the text to Elena.
No answer came.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
At two exactly, Maya called a third time.
Eve answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a breath.
“Eve?”
Maya sounded like she had been crying.
Eve closed her eyes.
“I was told not to speak with you.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you calling me?”
“Because they’re saying I changed the records.”
Eve’s hand tightened around the phone.
“I can’t discuss this.”
“I didn’t change them.”
“Maya.”
“They took my laptop.”
“That’s normal in an investigation.”
“They took my building access.”
Eve stood.
“I really need you to call Sterling Legal.”
“I did.”
“Then talk to them.”
“They think I did it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know how they looked at me.”
Eve walked toward the window.
Cars moved slowly through gray slush below.
“Maya, listen to me.”
Her voice came out calmer than she felt.
“Do not tell me anything you haven’t already told Legal.”
“I need someone to understand.”
“I do understand that you’re scared.”
“No, you don’t.”
Maya’s voice cracked.
“I have two kids.”
Eve stopped.
There it was.
Not evidence.
Not strategy.
Rent.
School pickup.
Groceries.
Health insurance.
The same invisible machinery that had made Martin say thirty-two people as though it justified every silence.
Eve said, “Do you have a lawyer?”
Maya gave a short bitter laugh.
“With what money?”
“Did Sterling tell you that you’re terminated?”
“No.”
“Then don’t assume you are.”
“They escorted me out.”
“That still isn’t the same thing.”
“You sound like them.”
The accusation hurt more than it should have.
Eve looked down.
“You’re right.”
Maya went quiet.
Eve continued carefully.
“I’m trying not to make this worse for you.”
“There was a spreadsheet.”
Eve’s heart sank.
“Maya, stop.”
“Cole kept it outside the system.”
“I can’t hear this.”
“He called it the renewal tracker.”
“Maya.”
“It had names.”
Eve pressed her fingers to her forehead.
“Please stop talking.”
A long silence followed.
Then Maya whispered, “I sent it to you.”
Eve froze.
“What?”
“Tuesday night.”
“I never got anything.”
“I sent it to your personal email.”
Eve’s stomach dropped.
Her personal email.
She had not checked it since before the trip except for airline confirmations and Preston’s shared utility notices.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because Cole told us internal email was being monitored.”
“Maya, you cannot send client records to my personal account.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“I was scared.”
Eve closed her eyes.
“When did you send it?”
“Tuesday.”
“What address?”
Maya repeated Eve’s Gmail address.
Correctly.
Eve’s pulse started pounding.
“Do not send me anything else.”
“I won’t.”
“Do not delete the sent email.”
Silence.
“Maya?”
“I won’t.”
“Call Elena Cho.”
“She thinks I’m lying.”
“Call her anyway.”
Maya’s breathing shook.
Then the line disconnected.
Eve stood in the center of the hotel room with the phone still in her hand.
She opened her personal email.
There were eighty-seven unread messages.
Promotions.
Newsletters.
A receipt from a bookstore.
Three automated apartment alerts she had forgotten to unsubscribe from.
She searched Maya’s name.
Nothing.
Then she searched Tuesday’s date.
Nothing.
She checked spam.
The message was there.
Subject line: Renewal file.
Eve did not open the attachment.
She barely opened the email.
Maya’s message contained one sentence.
I don’t know what else to do with this.
Attached was an Excel file.
RENEWAL_TRACKER_FINAL2.xlsx.
Eve felt physically sick.
She took a screenshot of the email header without opening the file and called Elena.
No answer.
She called again.
Still no answer.
Then she called Priya.
Priya answered on the second ring.
“Eve?”
“I have a problem.”
“What kind?”
“Maya sent something to my personal email three days ago.”
Silence.
“What?”
“I didn’t know.”
“What did she send?”
“A spreadsheet.”
“Did you open it?”
“No.”
“Do not.”
“I know.”
“How did she get your personal address?”
“I gave it to her months ago.”
Priya inhaled sharply.
Eve rushed on.
“It wasn’t for work.”
“Then why?”
“She was applying for a job and asked if I would look at her résumé.”
Priya was quiet.
“That is not ideal.”
“I am aware.”
“Forward nothing.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Call Elena.”
“I tried twice.”
“Call again.”
“What if she doesn’t answer?”
“Then call the main legal number and ask for someone on her team.”
Eve looked at the attachment icon as though it might explode.
“Priya.”
“Yes?”
“What if this is what they’re looking for?”
“Then it matters that you didn’t touch it.”
“I opened the email.”
“That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
Priya paused.
“And Eve?”
“What?”
“Document when you found it.”
“I’m writing it down now.”
“Good.”
Eve grabbed hotel stationery.
2:18 p.m.
Searched personal email after Maya told me she had sent a file Tuesday.
Located message in spam.
Did not open attachment.
Called Elena Cho at 2:19 and 2:21.
Called Priya Shah at 2:22.
Her handwriting looked almost unnaturally neat.
At 2:26, Elena called.
Eve answered immediately.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Eve did.
Elena interrupted only to clarify times.
When Eve finished, there was a pause.
“Do not open the attachment.”
May you like
“I haven’t.”
“Do not forward the email.”
