Chapter 10
Someone Came Back For Lily
Victor reached the Gold Coast house in nine minutes behind a police escort.
The front door was open.
One of his security agents was unconscious in the foyer, breathing but bleeding from the scalp.
Victor tried to run upstairs.
Clara grabbed his jacket.
"You go where I go."
He wanted to fight her.
Instead, he forced himself to listen.
The house had been entered through the rear service gate using a valid Morgan Holdings executive credential.
Whoever came in knew the security system.
Whoever came in knew exactly how long they had.
They found Grace in Lily's bedroom clutching the little girl behind an overturned rocking chair.
Lily was crying but unhurt.
Grace had blood on one sleeve that was not hers.
"He tried to take her," she said.
Victor dropped to his knees and pulled both of them close.
"Who?"
Grace shook her head.
"I never saw his whole face. He wore a cap and mask. But he knew Lily's name. He kept saying, 'Give me the rabbit.'"
Victor looked at Clara.
The bracelet was not in the house.
They had moved the memory chip to a bank evidence locker that morning.
Only a small circle knew.
Victor, Clara, the police, Malcolm, Thomas—and whoever had been listening.
A crash sounded downstairs.
Clara drew her weapon and moved into the hall with two officers.
Victor stayed with Lily.
Minutes later, police found the intruder's jacket near the rear alley but no person.
Inside the pocket was an old Morgan Holdings access card.
EVAN SHAW.
The photo was eight years old.
But it was him.
Alive.
Victor stared at the card while Lily pressed herself against his leg.
"Why would he leave this?" he asked.
Clara's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe he didn't."
She turned the card over.
On the back, someone had written an address in black ink.
A self-storage facility on the South Side.
"Too obvious," Clara said.
"A trap?"
"Or an invitation."
Victor looked toward Grace.
"Take Lily to the safe residence. Nobody outside your team gets the address. Not my father. Not Malcolm. Nobody."
Clara nodded.
Victor expected Lily to cry when Grace carried her toward the stairs.
Instead, she reached into the pocket of her pajamas and held out something small.
"Daddy."
It was a black plastic button.
Victor took it.
"Where did you get this?"
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
"Bad man dropped."
Clara examined it.
Not a button.
A miniature wireless microphone.
The intruder had not only come for the bracelet.
May you like
He had planted a listening device in Lily's room.
And judging by the scratches on its casing, it had been there long before that morning.
