"He left because staying would have placed you in danger."
A pause.
"Your mother did not die when you were six."
Naomi dropped the recorder.
"No."
She stared at it.
"No."
She pressed play again.
Evelyn's voice continued.
"Sarah survived."
Naomi could barely breathe.
"She was taken to Hong Kong under another name."
The recording ended.
Naomi sat in silence.
For thirty years, she had believed her mother was dead.
For thirty years, she had believed her father had abandoned her.
Now she discovered that both stories had been lies.
Not cruel lies.
Protective lies.
But lies nonetheless.
Her phone rang.
Adrian.
Naomi answered.
"Where are you?"
"At my grandmother's apartment."
"Leave."
"Why?"
"Because Marcus knows about the apartment."
Naomi stood immediately.
"How?"
"I don't know."
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Naomi froze.
Adrian whispered:
"Naomi?"
She ended the call.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Someone tried the handle.
Naomi grabbed the metal box.
The door opened.
A man stepped inside.
He was not Marcus.
He was younger.
Dark jacket.
Black gloves.
He looked around.
Then his eyes found Naomi.
"Give me the box."
Naomi stepped backward.
"No."
He moved forward.
Naomi threw a chair.
The man stumbled.
She ran.
Down the stairs.
Out the front door.
She heard him behind her.
She turned onto the street.
A car stopped.
The passenger door opened.
"Get in!"
It was Adrian.
Naomi jumped inside.
The car accelerated.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Do you have the box?"
"Yes."
Adrian looked relieved.
Then Naomi noticed something.
A photograph was lying on the dashboard.
It showed her grandmother.
Beside her stood a younger man.
Naomi recognized him immediately.
Marcus Vale.
But the photograph was almost thirty years old.
She looked at Adrian.
"Why was Marcus with my grandmother?"
Adrian said nothing.
"Tell me."
"He wasn't alone."
"Who was with him?"
Adrian tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Your father."
Naomi felt the world tilt.
"My father knew Marcus?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Because they were partners."
"No."
Adrian looked at her.
"Not business partners."
"Then what?"
He hesitated.
"Your father was working undercover."
Naomi stared.
"Working for whom?"
Adrian's answer was barely audible.
"For Liang Wei."
The car continued through the city.
Naomi looked down at the metal box.
For the first time, she understood why her grandmother had spent her entire life teaching her languages.
It had never been about getting a better job.
It had never been about impressing people.
Evelyn had been preparing Naomi for the day when the truth would need someone capable of reading it.
And that day had finally arrived.
They met David Sawyer in an abandoned bookstore on the edge of the city.
Naomi had imagined her father a thousand times.
Sometimes he was young.
Sometimes old.
Sometimes angry.
Sometimes smiling.
She had never imagined him standing in front of her with gray hair, tired eyes, and a cane.
He looked at her for several seconds.
Then he whispered:
"Naomi."
She could not move.
"You know me."
David nodded.
"I have known you every day of my life."
"Then why weren't you there?"
His eyes filled with tears.
"Because I was afraid."
"You let me think you were dead."
"I know."
"You let Grandma raise me alone."
"I know."
"You never came back."
David lowered his head.
"If I had come back, you might not be alive."
Naomi wanted to hate him.
But anger was difficult when the person standing in front of you looked like he had spent thirty years punishing himself.
David told her everything he could.
He had worked with Liang Wei.
He had discovered that investors were being manipulated.
Marcus Vale was one of the people involved.
But Marcus was not the only one.
There was another network.
People with influence.
People who could erase records.
People who could make witnesses disappear.
Liang Wei had prepared a ledger.
The ledger contained payments.
Names.
Dates.
Accounts.
Everything.
David had taken the ledger before Liang Wei died.
He had hidden it.
Then he disappeared.
"Where is it?" Naomi asked.
David looked at Adrian.
Then at her.
"With me."
He opened a drawer.
Inside was an old leather book.
Naomi recognized it immediately.
The ledger.
She opened it.
Page after page contained names.