Chapter 3 - THE ROOM WITH NO LOCK
Navy emerged from the bathroom wearing a long cotton robe.
Her wedding dress lay folded over one arm.
Diego was sitting beside the fireplace.
He stood when she entered.
"There's another bedroom down the hall."
She stopped.
"What?"
"You can use it."
She studied him.
"Is that permission?"
His expression tightened.
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"A choice."
Navy almost smiled.
"That's unfamiliar territory for you."
He accepted the remark.
Then said, "I'll have someone bring your belongings."
"I can carry my own things."
"Fine."
She walked toward the door.
"Navy."
She stopped.
Diego hesitated.
"I'm sorry."
She looked over her shoulder.
"For what?"
His eyes moved briefly toward the robe covering her back.
"For what I said downstairs. And for ordering you to undress."
Navy studied him.
"An apology doesn't undo an order."
"I know."
"No," she replied. "You don't. Not yet."
She left.
The guest room was smaller but warmer.
Navy checked the windows.
Then the bathroom.
Then the closet.
Finally, she examined the door.
There was no lock on the inside.
Her stomach tightened.
She sat on the bed and stared at the handle.
At eleven, she'd learned to wedge a chair beneath a door.
At fourteen, she'd learned to sleep without turning off the light.
At seventeen, she'd learned that even locked doors were only as secure as the person holding the key.
She dragged an armchair across the carpet.
The sound scraped through the quiet house.
A knock came ten minutes later.
Navy froze.
"Mrs. Ramos?"
A woman's voice.
"My name is Rosa. I'm the housekeeper."
Navy approached cautiously.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Ramos asked me to bring you a key."
Navy stared.
"A key?"
"For your room. He had the locksmith change the lock."
She opened the door a fraction.
A silver-haired woman stood outside holding a small envelope.
Rosa's gaze moved to the chair wedged beneath the handle.
Something softened in her face.
She said nothing about it.
Instead, she held out the envelope.
"Nobody will enter without your permission."
Navy took the key.
"Thank you."
Rosa nodded.
"Would you like some tea?"
For reasons Navy couldn't explain, the question nearly made her cry.
"Yes," she whispered.
Rosa smiled.
"I'll bring some."
Downstairs, Diego stood in his study while his security chief, Gabriel Torres, examined a file.
"Arthur Martin died four years ago," Gabriel said. "Official cause was cardiac arrest."
Diego looked toward the window.
"I want his medical records."
Gabriel frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know whether the man who did that to his daughter was ever held accountable."
Gabriel waited.
Diego continued.
"And I want everything you can find about Navy's childhood."
Gabriel hesitated.
"Does she know?"
Diego looked at him.
"No."
"Then perhaps you should ask her."
Diego stared.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he closed the file.
May you like
"You're right."
It was the first time Gabriel had heard those words from him in years.
