Chapter 4 - The Lockbox
Sienna crossed the office slowly.
Clara called her.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
On the third attempt, Sienna rejected the call.
“Damn it.”
Julian was still on the line.
“What is she doing?”
“She’s looking at the wall unit.”
“Is she touching it?”
“Not yet.”
Julian spoke to someone away from his phone.
Clara heard movement.
A car door.
Then his voice returned.
“I’m twelve minutes away.”
“You’re in New York?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were in Virginia.”
“I came back yesterday.”
The information hit her harder than it should have.
He had returned.
He had not told her.
There was no reason he should have.
Their relationship had never acquired a name.
Eleven months earlier, after three nights spent together and six months of refusing to admit how much they trusted each other, Julian had put Clara on a plane to London because her name appeared in a federal intelligence file.
He kissed her once at the airport.
Then disappeared behind duty.
Clara had been angry ever since.
Now none of it mattered.
Sienna opened a drawer.
Empty.
Another.
Documents.
She tossed them across the desk.
Then Margaret’s voice came faintly through Sienna’s speakerphone.
“Look behind the cabinet.”
Clara leaned toward the laptop.
Her skin prickled.
Margaret knew the room.
Not this room.
The previous version of it.
Before federal contractors rebuilt the interior.
Thomas Sterling had visited Clara’s penthouse only twice before his death.
Both times he spent several minutes alone in that office.
Clara had forgotten.
Or forced herself to forget.
Sienna moved toward the cabinet.
“Mom says there used to be a panel here.”
Clara whispered.
“What panel?”
Julian heard her.
“What?”
“My mother is directing her.”
“Your mother knows the layout?”
“Apparently.”
Sienna pushed against the wall.
Nothing happened.
She became irritated.
“Mom, there’s nothing here.”
Margaret’s voice crackled.
“Your father said it was behind the office wall.”
Clara’s heart stopped.
Julian heard it too.
“What did she say?”
Clara did not answer.
Sienna turned toward the black biometric unit.
Then smiled.
“This must be it.”
“No,” Clara said.
She called again.
Sienna finally answered.
“What?”
“Leave that alone.”
“Oh, now you want to talk?”
“That unit has nothing to do with Dad.”
“How would you know?”
“Because it was installed recently.”
Sienna hesitated.
Margaret spoke through the phone.
“She’s lying.”
Clara heard every word.
“Mom, stop this.”
Margaret ignored her.
“Your father hid something in that apartment before he died.”
Clara stared at the camera.
“What?”
Sienna’s expression became smug.
“See?”
“What did he hide?”
“Something that belonged to all of us.”
Clara almost laughed.
“According to who?”
“Dad.”
“No. According to Mom.”
Margaret snapped.
“I heard him talking about it.”
“To whom?”
Silence.
Clara leaned closer.
“To whom, Mom?”
Margaret did not answer.
That told Clara the answer mattered.
Sienna began checking the edges of the biometric unit.
“There’s a seam.”
Julian’s voice sharpened in Clara’s ear.
“Tell her to stop.”
“I am.”
“Tell her the device is connected to federal security.”
Clara did.
Sienna laughed.
“Federal security? Come on.”
“It’s true.”
“Then why is it in your house?”
“It isn’t my house anymore.”
Sienna froze.
“What?”
Clara closed her eyes.
She had not wanted to reveal it this way.
“The penthouse was transferred.”
“To who?”
“That’s not important.”
“You sold it?”
“No.”
“Then what does transferred mean?”
Margaret interrupted.
“She’s trying to scare you.”
Clara’s anger finally surfaced.
“Mom, if Sienna damages that unit, there could be federal charges.”
Sienna rolled her eyes.
“For touching your stupid safe?”
“It isn’t mine.”
That got her attention.
Clara continued.
“And it isn’t Dad’s.”
Sienna stared at the black unit.
For a second, Clara thought she might listen.
Then Margaret said quietly through the speaker.
“Break it.”
Clara felt something inside her go cold.
Sienna reached for the heavy metal tool she had brought from the guest room.
“Mom says Dad’s box is inside.”
“No.”
Sienna raised the tool.
“Don’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I am telling you there is nothing from Dad inside that unit.”
Sienna smiled.
“You’ve lied to us about money before.”
“When?”
“When you said the trust was empty.”
“The trust was empty.”
“According to your accountant.”
“According to mathematics.”
Sienna raised the tool higher.
Clara shouted.
“Sienna!”
The tool came down.
Metal struck metal.
The sound exploded through Clara’s laptop speakers.
For one second, nothing happened.
Then the penthouse lights died.
Darkness.
Silence.
And a mechanical voice spoke throughout the apartment.
SECURITY BREACH DETECTED.
Sienna stepped backward.
“What the hell?”
Red emergency lights began flashing.
The doors locked.
Ethan screamed.
Lily started crying.
Julian’s voice turned dangerously quiet.
“You said she hit it?”
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Once.”
May you like
“Make sure it stays once.”
Sienna raised the tool again.
