Chapter 3 - BOX 614
By noon, Isa had learned two things.
First, painkillers made Rhett Valin slightly less intimidating.
Second, nothing made him less suspicious.
He sat across from her in the guest-room sitting area with the bank record between them.
“You opened the box.”
“No.”
“It was accessed fourteen months ago.”
“I didn’t even know it existed.”
“That happens to be when you began working for me.”
“I know how that looks.”
“Bad.”
“Thank you.”
For one second, Rhett almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Isa remembered something.
“My suitcase.”
“What about it?”
“There’s an envelope sewn into the lining.”
Rhett’s gaze sharpened.
She had discovered it eight years earlier while repairing a tear.
Her mother had told her not to touch it until she was older.
Then her mother died before explaining why.
Isa had carried the suitcase ever since.
Rhett brought it to her.
With one good hand, Isa cut through the old stitching.
Inside was a yellowed envelope.
A brass key fell onto the blanket.
Stamped into the metal:
Rhett stared.
Isa whispered, “I swear I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.”
She looked at him.
“You do?”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
They went to the bank that afternoon under heavy security.
Isa wore Rhett’s black overcoat because hers had blood on it.
The coat was too large.
It smelled faintly of cedar.
She hated how safe it made her feel.
Box 614 contained three items.
A photograph.
A flash drive.
And a sealed letter.
The photograph showed Samuel Ward standing beside Rhett’s father, Victor Valin.
Between them stood a much younger Mason Voss.
Isa’s hand began trembling.
“Mason knew my father?”
Rhett’s jaw tightened.
“He told me he met you in college.”
“He did.”
“Maybe that wasn’t accidental.”
Isa opened the letter.
Isa,
If you ever find this, understand one thing first.
Mason Voss is not who he says he is.
She stopped reading.
Rhett took a slow breath.
Isa continued.
I made the mistake of believing he wanted to help me expose the people stealing from Victor Valin.
Instead, Mason wanted the names.
If anything happens to me, the evidence is on the drive.
Do not give it to the police until you know which officers can be trusted.
And never let Mason know you have it.
Isa lowered the page.
“He married me.”
Rhett’s expression turned cold.
“To find this.”
Her entire marriage changed shape in a single second.
Five years.
Flowers.
Apologies.
Promises.
Bruises.
Every time Mason asked about her father.
Every time he encouraged her to clean out old storage boxes.
Every time he became furious when she said there was nothing left.
Rhett inserted the flash drive into an isolated laptop.
Encrypted files appeared.
Cole began working on them.
Twenty minutes later, one folder opened.
Inside were payment records.
Political donations.
Police accounts.
Construction contracts.
Then Rhett saw a name.
MASON VOSS.
Isa leaned closer.
A second name appeared beneath his.
Cole Mercer.
Rhett slowly looked toward his security chief.
Cole stared at the screen.
“That isn’t me.”
Rhett said nothing.
May you like
Then Isa saw the payment date.
Three days earlier.
