Chương 12
“Julian.”
“He saw a girl.”
“How old?”
“The right age.”
Grace inhaled slowly.
“Oh.”
He turned on her.
“Do not say anything else.”
Grace stopped.
The cruelty in his tone surprised even him.
He looked away.
“I can’t.”
Grace nodded.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
The words came automatically.
Grace absorbed them without defending herself.
Julian rubbed both hands over his face.
His phone rang again.
Marcus.
He answered.
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
Julian looked toward the garage doors.
“What kind?”
“Flores and Kent never reached Briar.”
“Why?”
“They were hit on Route Nine.”
Grace stood.
“Hit how?”
Marcus heard her.
“Vehicle collision.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Condition?”
“Both conscious.”
“The box?”
A pause.
Julian closed his eyes.
“Marcus.”
“Gone.”
Grace’s face emptied.
Julian said, “What happened?”
“Pickup came through a red light and clipped the rear quarter.”
“Intentional?”
“Flores thinks so.”
“And the pickup?”
“Abandoned two blocks away.”
“Drivers?”
“Two people.”
“Found?”
“No.”
Julian turned toward Grace.
She looked physically ill.
“Did they take anything else?”
Marcus said, “Wallets untouched.”
“Phones?”
“Still there.”
“So they knew about the box.”
“Yes.”
Grace whispered, “My sister.”
Julian raised one hand.
Marcus continued, “I sent someone back to her building.”
“Do not tell Grace’s sister anything.”
Grace shot him a look.
Julian ignored it.
“Confirm she’s safe and put someone outside.”
“Already happening.”
“Good.”
Julian ended the call.
Grace stepped toward him.
“They knew where the box was.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Julian did not answer.
“They knew we sent for it.”
“Yes.”
Her breathing quickened.
“That means someone here heard us.”
“Possibly.”
“Not possibly.”
Grace’s voice sharpened.
“The car was hit after you sent people to get it.”
Julian looked toward the security cameras mounted in the garage corners.
His eyes moved to the nearest one.
Then to the intercom panel beside the service door.
A thought settled coldly.
He crossed the garage and pulled open the utility cabinet beneath the panel.
Grace followed.
“What are you doing?”
Julian examined the wiring.
Everything looked normal.
He touched a small black relay attached beneath the standard intercom board.
It did not belong there.
He disconnected it.
The tiny device came free in his hand.
Grace stared.
“What is that?”
“A transmitter.”
Her face changed.
“They were listening.”
“To this room.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian looked at the ceiling.
“Maybe more than one room.”
Grace stepped backward.
“Amara.”
Julian grabbed her arm before she ran.
“Wait.”
“No.”
“We don’t know where else they are.”
“My daughter is upstairs.”
“So we go together.”
Grace yanked her arm free.
This time Julian did not stop her.
They moved fast through the service corridor.
Julian called Marcus while climbing the stairs.
“Lock internal security.”
“What happened?”
“Listening device in the garage.”
Marcus swore.
“Where?”
“Intercom panel.”
“I’ll sweep the office.”
“Do not use house communications.”
“Got it.”
Julian ended the call.
Grace reached the guest room first.
She pushed open the door.
Amara was asleep sideways across the bed, one leg outside the blanket, the bread figure still crushed beneath one hand.
Grace crossed the room and touched her daughter’s back.
Only then did her shoulders lower.
Julian stood in the doorway.
The room had belonged to guests once, before the east wing became mostly unused.
A lamp glowed beside the bed.
There were no obvious cameras.
Obvious meant nothing.
Grace whispered, “Check.”
Julian nodded.
He started with the smoke detector.
Nothing.
The lamp.
Nothing.
Electrical outlets.
Nothing.
Then he saw the baby monitor on the dresser.
Grace followed his gaze.
“That was already here.”
“I know.”
“Does it work?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian picked it up.
The monitor was old enough that Lily had used it.
He removed the battery cover.
A newer circuit board had been attached behind the original casing.
Grace covered her mouth.
Julian stared at it.
Someone had entered this room before tonight.
Someone had known enough about the house to hide surveillance inside objects nobody used anymore.
He carried the monitor into the bathroom and crushed it beneath the heel of his shoe.
Grace stood in the doorway.
“They heard us at dinner.”
Julian stopped.
The dining room intercom.
The sitting room.
Possibly his office.
Everything they had said since Amara walked through that door might already be known.
Grace looked toward her daughter.
“They know about Saint Agnes.”
Julian’s head lifted.
The key.
He reached for his phone.
Then stopped.
Calling anyone could expose the destination if his phone had been compromised too.
Grace read his expression.
“What?”
“They may be going for it now.”
“Then we have to move.”
“Not through my people.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know which communication channel they’re hearing.”
Grace looked toward Amara.
“Then what do we do?”
Julian stared at the sleeping child.
There was only one person in the house whose movements had not been connected to his security system, his company network, or his organization.
He hated the idea immediately.
That was why it might work.
“Elena.”
Grace frowned.
“The cook?”
“Yes.”
“What about her?”
Julian crossed the hall and went toward the service stairs.
Grace followed.
“Julian.”
He lowered his voice.
“She drives an eleven-year-old Honda.”
Grace stared at him.
“That’s your plan?”
“It is now.”
“You own armored cars.”
“One has a cut brake line and the others may be tracked.”
Grace looked at him for a second.
Then, despite everything, she whispered, “This is absurd.”
“Yes.”
“It’s a very bad car.”
“I’ve seen it.”
“The passenger window doesn’t close all the way.”
“I know.”
“She has a rosary hanging from the mirror that hits you in the face.”
“Grace.”
“I’m processing.”
Julian almost smiled.
They found Elena downstairs packing leftovers into plastic containers.
The sixty-two-year-old cook looked at Julian, then Grace, then the urgency on both their faces.
“No.”
Julian stopped.
“I haven’t asked yet.”
“I know that face.”
“What face?”
“The one rich men make before ruining somebody’s evening.”
Grace made a choking sound that might have been laughter.
May you like
Julian said, “I need your car.”
Elena stared at him.
