Chương 2 - THE CAMERA SOMEONE WANTED DARK
I survived because fifteen years married to Adrian Bellandi teaches a woman certain things.
Never run toward the obvious street.
Never enter a car you didn't arrange.
Never assume one pursuer means one man.
And never confuse panic with speed.
I cut through an alley.
Climbed a delivery stairway.
Waited behind a rooftop utility wall until the man in the gray coat ran past below.
Then I changed direction.
By seven thirty, I was inside Union Station.
Crowds.
Cameras.
Police.
Ordinary people.
For once, ordinary felt luxurious.
I purchased a ticket with cash.
Not because I planned to board the train.
Because anyone watching the terminal would expect me to.
Then I exited through another concourse and took a taxi to an old apartment building in Pilsen.
My cousin Rebecca owned the building.
Adrian did not know.
Not because I'd intentionally hidden it.
Because when you've been married fifteen years, there are thousands of tiny facts your spouse never asks about.
Rebecca was in Arizona.
The third-floor apartment was empty.
I still knew where the spare key was hidden.
Inside, I locked the door.
Then finally allowed myself to shake.
I sat on the floor.
Closed my eyes.
Saw Adrian's mouth against Elena's.
Again.
And again.
One second.
Maybe two.
My rational mind kept trying to produce explanations.
Elena initiated it.
Adrian was surprised.
He stopped.
Maybe—
No.
I refused.
The danger did not erase what I saw.
Someone disabling a camera did not erase it either.
Both things could be true.
My husband could have betrayed me for one terrible second.
And someone could have used that betrayal to push me out of his protection.
I needed to know why.
Across the city, Adrian was learning the same thing.
Marcus reconstructed the camera command.
The authorization code belonged to Vincent Bellandi.
Adrian's cousin.
Head of internal security.
Family.
Vincent claimed he'd been asleep.
His access credentials, he insisted, had been cloned.
Possible.
Convenient.
Adrian didn't accuse him.
Yet.
Instead, he asked:
“Who knew Claire used the bakery gate?”
Vincent answered:
“No one.”
Wrong.
I had once mentioned it at dinner.
Years ago.
A joke about how absurd Adrian's security was because bread could escape scrutiny.
Who had been there?
Adrian.
Me.
Marcus.
Vincent.
And Adrian's older aunt, Lucia.
Elena had not.
That mattered.
Then Adrian checked the exterior cameras.
At 4:48, a sedan parked two blocks beyond the estate.
At 4:54, it left.
Registered to a shell company.
That company leased property from—
Russo Holdings.
Elena's family.
Marcus wanted her confined.
Adrian refused.
“She stays where I can see her.”
Marcus asked:
“Because you trust her?”
Adrian apparently answered:
“No.”
Then after a moment:
“Because Claire might be right not to.”
Meanwhile, I found an old prepaid phone in Rebecca's junk drawer.
Dead battery.
Charged it.
Called one person.
Not Adrian.
Marcus.
He answered on the first ring.
“Claire?”
“How did you know?”
“Only three people have this number.”
“Is Adrian there?”
“Yes.”
“Don't put him on.”
Silence.
Then:
“Understood.”
That surprised me.
“Someone followed me.”
Marcus's voice changed instantly.
“Where are you?”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“No.”
“You may be in danger.”
“I am aware.”
“Description.”
I gave him one.
He asked:
“Did he touch you?”
“No.”
“Weapon?”
“Didn't see one.”
“Vehicle?”
“Unknown.”
Then Adrian's voice came faintly from the background.
“Is she hurt?”
I closed my eyes.
Marcus did not answer him.
Good man.
I said:
“The east camera.”
Marcus went silent.
“You know?”
“I noticed before I left.”
“You didn't disable it?”
“No.”
“We confirmed that.”
“Who did?”
“Vincent's credential.”
My stomach tightened.
Vincent.
The cousin who danced with me at my wedding.
The man whose daughter I took shopping for prom.
“Where is he?”
“Estate.”
“Does Adrian know?”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
Then I asked:
“Elena?”
Marcus exhaled.
“Still here.”
Of course.
The pain came back sharp.
Marcus said quietly:
“Claire, I saw the study footage.”
I froze.
“What?”
“There is no camera inside. Hallway only.”
“Then you saw nothing.”
“I saw you walk away.”
I said nothing.
“Twenty-two seconds later Elena left.”
“And Adrian?”
“Thirty-six seconds after her.”
My throat tightened.
Meaning whatever happened did not continue.
Not enough.
Still something.
Marcus continued.
“Adrian has not defended what happened.”
I almost laughed.
“How noble.”
“He hasn't asked anyone to.”
“Good.”
Then:
“He is losing his mind.”
“That is not my emergency.”
Marcus went quiet.
“I agree.”
Again, good man.
“What do you need?”
“Find the man who followed me.”
“We will.”
“And Marcus?”
“Yes?”
“Don't let Adrian turn this into revenge.”
Silence.
“You still care what happens to him.”
I looked at the blank apartment wall.
“I care what happens because of him.”
Different.
Before hanging up, Marcus said:
“Claire.”
“What?”
“The man who followed you?”
“Yes?”
“We may already know who he is.”
My skin went cold.
May you like
“Who?”
“One of Vincent's former contractors.”
