"Your father wanted you to forget."
"My father told you that?"
The man's eyes softened.
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
"Because I knew him."
Marissa leaned forward.
"Who are you?"
The old man stood.
"Thomas."
She grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait."
He looked at her.
"You have something that belongs to your father."
Marissa immediately thought of the key.
She said nothing.
Thomas smiled faintly.
"Good."
He walked away.
Marissa followed.
She ran outside.
But he was gone.
Only rain remained.
Across the street, Ethan watched from his car.
He had followed Marissa to the library.
Not because he distrusted her.
Because someone had been watching her.
He had learned that much from his security team.
He saw the old man leave.
He recognized him.
Thomas Bell.
Former employee of Calloway Development.
Officially retired.
Unofficially missing for nineteen years.
Ethan stepped out of the car.
"Thomas."
The old man stopped.
"Mr. Calloway."
"You know Marissa."
"I knew her father."
"So did I."
Thomas looked at him.
"No."
Ethan frowned.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
Thomas stepped closer.
"Your father told Richard Hayes he would protect him."
Ethan's expression changed.
"He didn't."
"He did."
"What happened?"
"Your father changed his mind."
Ethan stared.
"Why?"
Thomas looked toward the library.
"Because someone threatened his family."
"Who?"
Thomas shook his head.
"Not here."
"Then where?"
Thomas handed him a folded piece of paper.
"Read this."
Ethan opened it.
A handwritten address.
An abandoned warehouse on the South Side.
Thomas said:
"Come alone."
Then he walked away.
That evening, Ethan met Nolan.
"I found Thomas."
Nolan stared.
"Thomas Bell?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"He's alive."
Nolan leaned back.
"I thought he died."
"So did everyone."
"What did he tell you?"
"That my father tried to protect Richard Hayes."
Nolan's expression changed.
"That's not what the records say."
"I know."
Ethan placed the paper on the table.
"And someone is trying to stop Marissa from discovering the truth."
Nolan looked at him.
"Why do you care?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"Because I think my father lied."
Marissa returned home that night.
Her mother was waiting.
"You met Thomas."
Marissa froze.
"How did you know?"
"He came here."
"When?"
"Years ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Elaine reached for her hand.
"Your father wasn't a thief."
"I know."
"No."
Elaine shook her head.
"You don't know."
She went to the bedroom.
When she returned, she carried a small wooden box.
She placed it on the table.
Inside were letters.
Photographs.
A newspaper clipping.
And one old photograph of four people.
Edward Calloway.
Richard Hayes.
Victor Hale.
And a young woman.
Marissa picked it up.
"Who is she?"
Elaine's face became pale.
"Her name was Anna."
"Anna who?"
Elaine whispered:
"Anna Calloway."
Marissa stared.
"Who was she?"
Elaine looked toward the door.
"Your father's secret."
THE FIRST LIE
Marissa couldn't breathe.
She stared at the photograph.
Anna Calloway stood between Richard Hayes and Edward Calloway.
She looked young.
Maybe twenty-five.
Her dark hair fell over one shoulder.
There was something familiar about her eyes.
Something that made Marissa uncomfortable.
"Who was she?"
Elaine sat across from her.
"Anna was Edward's daughter."
Marissa frowned.
"I thought Ethan was his only child."
"That is what everyone believed."
"Why?"
"Because Anna disappeared."
"When?"
"Before you were born."
Marissa looked again at the photograph.
"Why was Dad with her?"
"Your father worked for Edward."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
Elaine sighed.
"It isn't."
She touched the photograph.
"Anna discovered something."
"What?"
"Northstar."
Marissa had never heard the name.
"What was Northstar?"
Elaine looked toward the window.
"A company that didn't officially exist."
Marissa waited.
"It moved money."
"Whose money?"
"Everyone's."
"That's impossible."
"Not when powerful people are involved."
Elaine explained slowly.
Northstar had been created as a network of shell companies.
Money moved through them.
Political donations.
Property purchases.
Bribes.
Payments to people who could influence court cases.
It was designed to hide who really controlled the money.
"Your father discovered it."
"And Anna?"
"She discovered it first."
"What did she do?"
"She wanted to expose it."
Marissa stared.
"Did she?"
Elaine shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because she disappeared."
At midnight, Ethan arrived at the warehouse.
He entered alone.
The building smelled of rust and rain.
"Thomas?"
Nothing.
He walked farther inside.
A light switched on.
Thomas stood near a table.
"You came."
"You asked me to."
Thomas placed a folder on the table.
"Your father wanted to give this to the police."
"Why didn't he?"
"Because Edward knew the police were compromised."
Ethan opened the folder.
Inside were bank statements.
Names.
Dates.
Transactions.
And photographs.
He recognized Victor Hale.
He recognized several politicians.
He recognized a judge.
Then he saw another photograph.
Anna.
Standing beside Edward.
And beside them—
his mother.
Ethan's stomach dropped.
"Why is my mother here?"
Thomas didn't answer.
"Thomas."