Chương 7
Daniel walked past them toward the elevators.
Alvarez called after him. “Where are you going?”
“To surgery.”
“Stay there.”
He did not answer.
Lily came out of surgery shortly after noon.
Her jaw was stabilized more securely, and swelling had deepened the bruising along her face. Dr. Park warned Daniel that the next twenty-four hours would be difficult. Lily might be frightened when she woke. She might not remember what she had already communicated. She might remember too much.
Daniel stood beside the bed as the nurses settled her into a private room on the surgical floor. The blue blanket had traveled with her. Someone had combed her hair without changing its position around the bandages.
He sat down.
A food-service worker brought a tray meant for him by mistake. Turkey sandwich, apple juice, gelatin. Daniel told her to leave it. Two hours later, he ate half the sandwich without tasting it.
Priya returned with a borrowed phone for him and three legal forms.
“Board placed Marcus on administrative leave,” she said. “Emergency vote.”
“Where is he?”
“No one knows.”
“Company accounts?”
“Frozen where possible. He withdrew twenty-five thousand dollars yesterday afternoon.”
“Before Lily was attacked.”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at the date on the transaction.
Priya sat across from him. “There’s more.”
He waited.
“Marcus searched Lily’s name through our intelligence platform four days ago.”
“For what?”
“Address history, social accounts, university schedule.”
Daniel’s hand closed over the edge of the tray table.
“Who requested the search?” he asked.
“His credentials.”
“That doesn’t mean him.”
“No.”
“Could Mason access them?”
“Maybe. Marcus keeps passwords in a notebook because he distrusts password managers.”
“Send it to Alvarez.”
“I did.”
Daniel looked at Lily. “Why would Marcus search her schedule?”
Priya did not offer an answer.
Lily woke near three.
Her first reaction was not panic. It was irritation. She tried to move, discovered the restraints imposed by pain and equipment, and glared at the ceiling as if the building had personally inconvenienced her.
Daniel leaned into her field of vision.
“Hey.”
Her eyes shifted to him.
“You’re out of surgery.”
She blinked slowly.
“Dr. Park says it went well.”
A longer blink.
“I don’t know what that means either.”
The smallest change touched her eyes. Not a smile, but recognition of his attempt.
He picked up the communication board. “You don’t have to use this.”
Her gaze moved toward it anyway.
“Pain?”
She selected seven.
Daniel pressed the call button. A nurse arrived, checked the medication schedule, and explained that another dose could be given in six minutes.
Lily’s eyes moved to Daniel.
“I heard her,” he said. “Six minutes.”
She chose the letters P-H-O-N-E.
“The police have mine.”
She glared.
“Your phone is missing.”
Her breathing quickened.
Daniel placed the board down. “They found your backup.”
Her eyes widened.
“They’re trying to open it.”
She selected M-A-Y-A.
“She’s safe.”
Lily stared at him.
“That’s what the police said.”
N-O.
Daniel felt the room shift around him.
“What do you mean, no?”
She chose N-O again, then M-A-R-C-U-S.
Daniel stood.
“Marcus knows about Maya?”
YES.
“How?”
Lily’s eyes moved to the letters.
W-O-R-K.
“Work?”
YES.
“Maya worked for Marcus?”
NO.
Lily closed her eyes, exhausted.
The nurse returned with medication. Daniel stepped aside while she administered it. Lily’s fingers moved weakly against the blanket, searching.
Daniel gave her his hand.
After the nurse left, Lily formed one more word.
B-L-A-C-K-L-I-N-E.
Then sleep pulled her under.
Daniel called Alvarez from Priya’s borrowed phone.
The detective answered on the second ring. “Where did you get this number?”
“Lily says Marcus knows Maya through Blackline.”
Silence.
“Alvarez?”
“I heard you.”
“Where is Maya?”
“She left the university station twenty minutes ago.”
“You said she was safe.”
“She chose to leave.”
“With whom?”
“Her attorney.”
“She has an attorney?”
“Apparently.”
“Name?”
“I’m checking.”
Daniel looked at Priya. “Pull every Blackline record for Maya Chen.”
Priya was already opening the laptop.
Alvarez’s voice sharpened. “Do not access private data without authorization.”
“She said Blackline.”
“Daniel, stop.”
“If Marcus’s credentials touched her information, I need to know.”
“You need to let us investigate.”
“You let her walk out.”
“She is an adult and not under arrest.”
“With an attorney none of us knew existed.”
“We’re locating her.”
Daniel ended the call.
Priya searched employee records, contractor lists, visitor logs, internship applications. Nothing appeared. Then she found a name in a client-event roster.
“Maya Chen worked three Blackline events last year,” she said. “Temporary hospitality contractor.”
“What events?”
“Two charity dinners. One private security conference.”
“Marcus present?”
“At all three.”
“Any other connection?”
Priya searched deeper. “Her father owns Chen Digital Forensics.”
Daniel knew the company. Blackline subcontracted specialized recovery work when damaged devices were involved.
“Who manages the contract?” he asked.
“Marcus.”
The borrowed phone rang.
Alvarez said, “Maya’s attorney is Lydia Vale.”
Daniel looked at Priya.
“Marcus’s wife,” Priya whispered.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Alvarez continued. “We have units going to the Vale house.”
“She won’t be there.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus sent the empty SUV west to pull you away from the airport.”
“We’ve alerted airports.”
“Private fields?”
“Yes.”
“Blackline has access to a hangar at Benton Municipal.”
Alvarez was silent for half a second.
“Who uses it?” she asked.
“Clients who need discreet ground transport.”
“Discreet?”
“Not illegal.”
“Address.”
Priya was already writing it down.
Daniel read it into the phone.
“Stay at the hospital,” Alvarez said.
“My daughter is here.”
“I know where your daughter is. I’m telling you to stay with her.”
Daniel looked at Lily’s sleeping face.
Then he looked at the gold bracelet on his wrist. Claire had given it to him on their tenth anniversary because he refused to wear a watch and was always late. She had laughed while fastening it, saying at least now his wrist would look responsible.
“Find Maya,” he said.
“We will.”
The call ended.
Priya closed the laptop. “You’re going.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“I’m staying.”
May you like
“Good.”
“Send someone from hospital security to the elevator.”
