Chapter 14 - The Stolen Lullaby
Vivian laughed, a brittle, shrill sound that echoed off the high vault ceilings, but her eyes darted nervously toward the marshals. "Lena, darling. Did you get lost on your way to the welfare office? This auction is private. Invitation only."
"The injunction was signed twenty minutes ago by Judge Callahan," Lena said, stepping forward without a flinch. She pulled a stamped document from her coat and held it high. "Every asset belonging to Daniel Sterling is frozen under suspected grand larceny and human trafficking."
The man with the gray cane did not move. He turned slowly, his pale blue eyes locking onto Lena with terrifying stillness. "You have your sister's temper, Mrs. Sterling. But you do not have the code."
Suddenly, the museum’s intercom speakers crackled to life overhead. A melody began to seep through the speakers—soft, crystalline, and haunting. It was the exact lullaby Oliver had hummed by the garden path, but this recording was clear, played on a grand piano with the faint sound of a man humming beneath the keys.
Lena’s breath caught in her throat. *Daniel.*
"You recognize it, don't you?" the man with the cane murmured, a cruel smile touching his wrinkled lips. "It is playing across twelve public radio frequencies right now. A distress beacon. But it isn't meant for you, Lena. It's an activation signal for our extraction team at your farmhouse."
May you like
Lena's blood ran ice cold. "Grace."
***
