Chapter 10 - Midnight at the Riverside)
The Riverside Hotel had appeared in Amelia's recordings more than once.
It was where she followed Vanessa.
Where Mason met Northstar intermediaries.
Where the first photograph of Adrian Vale had been taken years earlier.
At 11:58 p.m., Grant walked through the lobby alone.
He carried a flash drive in the inside pocket of his suit.
The real evidence remained with federal investigators.
This drive contained an encrypted tracking file and carefully selected copies.
Daniel hated the plan.
Ortiz hated it more.
Grant did not care.
A message appeared.
ROOM 1408.
He entered the elevator.
No one joined him.
On the fourteenth floor, the hallway was silent.
Room 1408 stood open.
Grant pushed the door.
Vanessa sat beside the window.
Grant stopped.
She looked exhausted.
No black dress.
No perfect hair.
She wore jeans and a gray sweater.
A bruise marked one side of her face.
"Where is Vale?"
Vanessa looked toward him.
"Not here."
"You sent the message?"
"Yes."
Grant almost turned around.
"Wait."
He faced her.
"You locked my children inside a shed."
Vanessa closed her eyes.
"I know."
"You threatened them."
"I was desperate."
"That's not an excuse."
"No."
Grant had expected denial.
Her acceptance made him angrier.
"You spent three years inside my house."
"Yes."
"Searching for Amelia's evidence."
"At first."
"What changed?"
Vanessa looked down.
"You."
Grant's expression hardened.
"Don't."
"I'm not asking you to forgive me."
"Good."
"I cared about you."
"Stop."
"And the children."
"Stop."
Vanessa stood.
"Sophie used to crawl into my bed after nightmares."
Grant stepped forward.
"You don't get to use my daughter's love as evidence that you're human."
Vanessa flinched.
He continued.
"You told them I wasn't coming back."
"I needed Ben to give me the key."
"So you terrorized him."
"Yes."
Grant's eyes were cold.
"Then whatever else you say tonight, remember that is the woman you became."
Vanessa nodded slowly.
"You're right."
Silence filled the room.
Grant pulled out the fake drive.
"You want this."
Vanessa stared.
"Vale wants it."
"Where is Amelia?"
"I don't know."
Grant moved toward the door.
"Grant."
He stopped.
Vanessa continued.
"I know she survived the crash."
Grant turned slowly.
"How?"
"Because I caused it."
The room went still.
Grant's hand tightened.
Vanessa spoke quickly.
"Not the way you think."
"Then explain very carefully."
"Vale ordered me to stop her from reaching the airfield."
"How?"
"I was supposed to force her car off the road."
Grant's face changed.
Vanessa raised both hands.
"I didn't."
"You were following her."
"Yes."
"Then what happened?"
"A black SUV hit her first."
"Mason saw it."
"I know."
"Who was driving?"
"One of Vale's men."
"What happened to Amelia?"
"Her SUV spun off the road but didn't go over the ridge."
Grant stared.
"The car recovered belonged to Amelia."
"Yes."
"Then how?"
"They switched vehicles."
Grant felt nauseated.
Vanessa continued.
"I found Amelia injured near the road. Vale's men were coming back."
"What did you do?"
"I moved her."
"Where?"
"There was an abandoned service road. I hid her in my car."
Grant could barely speak.
"You saved her."
"For that night."
"What happened to the other body?"
"I don't know whose body they used. Vale handled it."
"Where did you take Amelia?"
"A private clinic."
"The one that later supplied the dental records?"
Vanessa nodded.
Grant's voice dropped.
"Then you helped fake her death."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it kept Vale from searching for her."
Grant stared.
"For three years?"
Vanessa looked away.
"No."
Grant felt fear returning.
"What happened?"
"Amelia disappeared from the clinic thirty-six hours later."
"Disappeared how?"
"I don't know."
"Did Daniel take her?"
"No."
"Vale?"
"I spent two years trying to find out."
Grant stepped closer.
"And during those two years you entered my life."
"Vale ordered me to monitor you. I agreed because it gave me access to his network."
Grant laughed bitterly.
"You expect me to believe you were undercover in my bedroom?"
"No."
"Good."
"I made choices I can't justify."
"Where is Amelia?"
Vanessa looked at the fake drive.
"Northstar has a detention system."
Grant froze.
"What system?"
"Safe houses for people considered leverage."
"Is Amelia in one?"
"I don't know."
"Where?"
"Vale keeps the locations compartmentalized."
Grant moved closer.
"Give me everything."
Vanessa pulled a folded paper from her pocket.
"These are three possible sites."
Grant took it.
Then the hotel room door clicked.
Vanessa's face changed.
"Get down."
A gunshot shattered the window.
Grant dropped behind the bed.
Vanessa grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the bathroom.
Another shot struck the wall.
Outside the hotel, police moved.
Sirens erupted.
Vanessa shoved Grant behind the marble counter.
"Vale knows I'm talking."
Grant stared at her.
"How?"
She looked toward the black phone.
"Because that phone was never mine."
The bathroom lights went out.
May you like
Then Vanessa whispered:
"He has been listening to everything."
