**We are moving to locate him. Do not attempt contact.**
Daniel stared at the name. Malcolm Reed. The person who might know where the second ledger was kept, who had paid the guards, and who had been protecting the operation from scrutiny.
If Reed could be found, the case might finally reach the hidden accounts behind the private fights.
But Daniel had learned not to mistake a name for an answer. Reed could be a witness, a suspect, or another frightened man trying to escape the consequences of his choices.
The next morning, Nina reported that Vale had canceled a public appearance and that Sloane’s security company had removed several pages from its website. Those actions proved nothing on their own, but they suggested that the pressure was reaching them.
At 8:45, Detective Ellis called again. Malcolm Reed’s car had been found abandoned near the train station. His phone was off. A station camera showed a man matching his description entering the building with a small suitcase, but there was no clear footage of him leaving.
Daniel listened in silence.
“Do you think he escaped?” he asked.
“We don’t know. We’re checking trains, buses, and nearby cameras.”
“And Marcus?”
“No confirmed location yet.”
After the call, Daniel stood at the window of the temporary house. The street below was ordinary, washed in morning light. A delivery driver carried boxes into a shop. A woman walked a small dog. Somewhere nearby, people were beginning their day without knowing that a hidden ledger might determine the fate of several witnesses.
Daniel could not force the truth to appear. He could only keep the people he loved safe, preserve what he knew, and remain ready to help when the next real opportunity came.
Then his phone rang from an unknown number.
A man spoke in a low, breathless voice.
“Mr. Mercer, this is Malcolm Reed. I have the ledger. If you want Marcus alive, you need to listen carefully.”
Daniel did not answer the demand with a promise. He put the call on speaker, signaled Kevin to contact Detective Ellis, and kept his voice calm.
“Malcolm, I’m listening. Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you that. They’re looking for me.”
“The police can protect you if you tell them where you are.”
“You don’t understand. Some of them have been paid. I don’t know who I can trust.”
Daniel looked at Kevin, who was already sending a message to Ellis. “Then tell me what you know. Don’t move until you’ve spoken to the detective.”
“I have the second ledger. It lists payments to security contractors, event organizers, and people who made problems disappear. Vale is in it. Sloane is in it. Rourke is in it. There are names I don’t recognize, too.”
“Where is Marcus?”
“I don’t know exactly. I heard he was being moved to the old exhibition hall near the river. They’re planning to use him in the showcase if they can’t get you to appear.”
Daniel felt his pulse rise. “When?”
“Tomorrow night.”
The call crackled. Reed took a shaky breath.
“They told me you’d come if they threatened your daughter. They thought you were predictable. Vale said everyone has a breaking point, and all they had to do was find yours.”
“They don’t know me,” Daniel said.
“No. But I helped them believe they did.”
Daniel heard a faint sound in the background—an engine, perhaps, or a door closing.
“Malcolm, I need you to contact Detective Ellis. I can give you her number through the police. Do not come to me. Do not go to the event. The ledger needs to reach investigators safely.”
“You want me to trust the police?”
“I want you to make a choice that gives the evidence a chance to survive. If you bring it to me, they can take it from both of us. If you give it to the police through a lawyer, there are records of what happened.”
Reed was silent. Then he whispered, “I’ll call her.”
The line went dead.
Kevin turned to Daniel. “You handled that well.”
“I don’t know if he’ll do it.”
“We can’t control that.”
Detective Ellis called moments later. She had received Kevin’s message and was trying to trace the call. She instructed Daniel not to contact Reed again. The information about the exhibition hall gave the investigation a possible destination, but the police needed to verify it before moving. A coordinated operation was being prepared in case Marcus was there.
The day passed in fragments. Daniel answered questions from investigators, checked on Lily, and tried to keep ordinary routines alive. He made breakfast. He read a chapter of Lily’s book aloud. He helped her pack a small bag in case they needed to move again. Each simple task felt like a quiet refusal to let Vale dictate the shape of their lives.
At dusk, Lily sat beside him on the floor.
“Is this almost over?” she asked.
“I hope so.”
“Will you have to fight?”
Daniel looked at her carefully. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure no one has to fight.”
“But if they make you?”
“Then I’ll protect myself and get help. I won’t go looking for a fight.”
She thought about that. “That’s not the same as being scared.”
“No,” he said. “It isn’t.”
A little after nine, Detective Ellis confirmed that the police had located Malcolm Reed. He had contacted the department through an attorney and surrendered the ledger. Investigators were verifying the documents, but the entries appeared consistent with the other financial records. Reed had also given a statement about the event planned for the following night.
The exhibition hall near the river was owned by a company connected to Sloane. Police surveillance had observed equipment being moved inside and vehicles arriving after dark. The prosecutor approved an operation to execute warrants and protect anyone found at the site. Officers would coordinate with medical personnel and a specialist team trained for high-risk entries.
Daniel was not invited to participate. Ellis made that explicit.
“You have already provided everything we need from you,” she said. “Your role is to remain safe and available. Do not go to the hall.”