Chapter 3 - ROMAN’S SISTER SHOWED ME THE FIRST PROOF THAT TITAN’S ESCAPE HAD BEEN PLANNED
Sofia Calder did not trust easily.
Emma learned that within fifteen minutes.
She also learned Sofia drank coffee as though caffeine were a personality requirement, hated her uncle Victor, and had been unsuccessfully trying to convince Roman for two years that the Calder family needed “less secrecy and more lawyers.”
Roman hated that phrase.
“Lawyers create paper.”
Sofia replied.
“Paper is useful when people lie.”
Emma sipped coffee.
“I like her.”
Roman looked offended.
“You met her twelve minutes ago.”
“Efficient.”
Titan slept on the rug between Emma’s chair and Roman’s.
Not Roman’s feet.
Between them.
Compromise.
Sofia opened her tablet.
“This is yesterday’s transport manifest.”
Roman scanned it.
“Titan was scheduled for Cho at eleven.”
“Yes.”
“Dante and Vincent assigned.”
“Yes.”
“Then Felix appears.”
“At nine-forty-two.”
Roman looked up.
“Who authorized?”
Sofia pointed.
“Executive security override.”
“Victor.”
“Yes.”
Emma frowned.
“Why does your uncle have security override authority?”
Roman answered:
“He sits on the family holding board.”
“That did not answer the question.”
“It did in my family.”
Sofia nodded.
“Unfortunately.”
Roman scrolled.
“Where’s Vincent?”
“Reassigned to a Harbor Holdings meeting.”
“By whom?”
“Victor’s office.”
Roman became very still.
Emma said:
“So your trusted security chief gets pulled away.”
“Felix replaces him.”
“Titan’s harness contains something painful.”
“Titan runs.”
“And then what?”
Roman looked at Sofia.
She answered.
“At eleven-fifteen, Roman was scheduled to inspect Pier Nine.”
Emma waited.
“So?”
Sofia looked at her.
“Pier Nine security failed yesterday.”
Roman’s gaze snapped toward her.
“What?”
“A camera outage.”
“How long?”
“Twelve minutes.”
“Why did nobody tell me?”
“Because you never arrived.”
Emma’s stomach tightened.
Titan escaped at roughly eleven.
Roman abandoned the inspection to retrieve his dog.
If Titan had not escaped…
Roman would have arrived at Pier Nine during a security failure.
Emma put down her cup.
“That’s not a coincidence.”
Roman’s expression hardened.
“Maybe.”
Emma stared.
“Your dog had a pain device hidden in his harness, your guard carried a controller, your security chief was reassigned, and the place you were supposed to go mysteriously lost cameras.”
“Maybe?”
Sofia smiled faintly.
“You get used to that.”
Roman ignored her.
“Who knew Pier Nine schedule?”
“Senior security.”
“Operations.”
“Victor.”
Sofia paused.
“And me.”
Emma looked at her.
Sofia met her eyes.
“Good.”
“What?”
“You should be suspicious.”
Roman stood.
“No.”
Emma looked up.
“No what?”
“Sofia did not do this.”
“How do you know?”
“She wouldn’t.”
Sofia’s expression changed.
Emma leaned back.
“That is not evidence.”
Roman stared at her.
Emma continued.
“You told me twelve hours ago you trusted Vincent with your life.”
“Now we’re asking why he was conveniently absent.”
“That is not the same.”
“Exactly.”
Sofia said quietly:
“She’s right.”
Roman looked at his sister.
Sofia continued.
“If you investigate everyone except family because family is emotionally inconvenient, Victor wins before we start.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
He sat again.
“Fine.”
Emma asked Sofia:
“What do you gain if Roman disappears?”
Roman looked at her.
“Emma.”
Sofia held up a hand.
“No.”
“She asked.”
Then to Emma:
“Board control eventually.”
“Some voting shares transfer to me.”
“Roman’s chair would likely go temporary.”
“Victor would argue he should take it.”
“Would you support him?”
“No.”
“Could he pressure you?”
“He could try.”
“Money?”
“I have my own.”
“Threats?”
Sofia’s mouth tightened.
“Our family prefers euphemisms.”
Emma nodded.
“Understood.”
Roman looked toward the window.
“Enough.”
Emma watched him.
“This is hard for you.”
“What?”
“Suspicion when the suspects are people you love.”
“I don’t love Victor.”
Sofia snorted.
“You absolutely do.”
Roman looked at her sharply.
She shrugged.
“He was there after Dad died.”
“He taught you half of what you know.”
“He was terrible at warmth and excellent at loyalty.”
“Until maybe now.”
Roman’s face closed.
There.
Not a crime boss.
A nephew.
Emma looked at Titan.
The dog was awake now.
Watching Roman.
She said:
“Maybe start with the dog.”
Roman frowned.
“How?”
“Routine.”
“When does he become anxious?”
“Who touches him?”
“Where?”
Sofia immediately said:
“West garage.”
Roman looked at her.
“What?”
“Titan stopped going in there three weeks ago.”
“You said he was stubborn.”
“I said he refused.”
“You called it sulking.”
“I was trying not to fight with you.”
Emma stared between them.
“Your family is terrible at descriptions.”
Sofia smiled.
“Yes.”
They went to the west garage.
Titan followed Emma until they reached the corridor.
Then stopped.
His nails dug into the stone.
Emma stopped too.
“Do not pull him.”
Roman nodded.
No argument this time.
Progress.
Sofia looked toward a side door.
“That’s where security gears the dogs.”
“Dogs?”
Emma asked.
“Titan and two patrol shepherds.”
“Who handles equipment?”
“Security staff.”
Emma crouched.
“Titan.”
She did not call him forward.
She simply sat.
After a minute, he approached her.
Then retreated again when a man came around the corner.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Graying hair.
Vincent Hale.
Titan did not growl.
But he backed away.
Vincent stopped immediately.
“Titan?”
Roman watched.
Emma looked at Vincent.
“You’re security chief?”
“Yes.”
His gaze moved to Roman.
“What happened?”
“You were not informed?”
Vincent looked offended.
“I was told Felix had been detained.”
“That’s all.”
Roman’s voice became cold.
“Why were you reassigned yesterday?”
“Victor ordered it.”
“Why did you accept?”
Vincent stared.
“Because his authorization level permits it.”
Sofia muttered:
“Another rule we should burn.”
Vincent looked at Titan.
“What happened to him?”
Emma answered:
“Someone put an aversive device inside his harness.”
Vincent went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
Emma shook her head.
“We physically removed it.”
His face changed.
“Which harness?”
“The black leather.”
Vincent looked toward Roman.
“I didn’t put that harness on him.”
Silence.
Roman said:
“Transport sheet says you did.”
“No.”
“Who?”
Vincent thought.
“Felix came in while I was called upstairs.”
“He said he would finish gearing Titan.”
Emma looked at Sofia.
Another link.
Roman asked:
“Did you sign the manifest?”
“Yes.”
“Before Felix finished?”
Vincent realized.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I expected to return.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
A careless signature.
Not betrayal.
Maybe.
Emma asked:
“Who had access to this room afterward?”
Vincent pointed toward the security desk.
“Badge log.”
Sofia immediately moved.
Five minutes later, she returned holding a printed list.
“Felix.”
“Twice.”
“Victor’s aide, Colin Reeve.”
Roman frowned.
“Why was Colin here?”
“No reason I know.”
“And?”
Sofia looked at Roman.
“Victor.”
The hallway became silent.
Roman took the paper.
His uncle had entered the dog-equipment room at 10:16 the previous morning.
Eleven minutes before Titan was moved.
Emma asked:
“Does Victor normally visit this area?”
“No.”
Roman’s voice had changed.
“What would he say?”
Sofia answered:
“That he was looking for you.”
Roman checked the security logs.
“Camera?”
Vincent’s face tightened.
“That camera was offline.”
Emma almost laughed.
“Of course it was.”
Vincent stared at the equipment room.
“Roman.”
“What?”
“I swear to you—”
Roman held up one hand.
“Not yet.”
Vincent went quiet.
Good.
Roman was learning not to demand oaths before evidence.
Emma stepped inside the room.
Shelves.
Leashes.
First-aid supplies.
Leather gear.
Training toys.
She noticed a bottle near the back.
Harness conditioner.
She opened it and smelled.
Cedar.
Sharp chemical undertone.
Titan immediately backed up.
Emma closed it.
“What is this?”
Vincent frowned.
“Leather treatment.”
“New?”
“Felix ordered supplies last month.”
Roman looked at Titan.
The dog’s breathing had accelerated.
Emma set the bottle down.
“I think scent may be part of his association.”
Sofia asked:
“With pain?”
“Possibly.”
“Not proof.”
Roman said.
Emma looked at him.
“Look at you learning.”
He almost smiled.
Then his phone rang.
Detective Morales.
Roman answered.
She did not waste time.
“Lab recovered partial activation history from the device.”
“How many?”
“Twenty-seven over nineteen days.”
Emma felt sick.
Roman went very still.
Morales continued.
“Most low-level.”
“Several stronger events.”
“Timestamps?”
Sofia had already opened her laptop.
Morales began reading them.
The first date.
Roman looked at Sofia.
“That was dinner.”
Sofia froze.
“Victor was here.”
Second date.
Vincent said:
“Security briefing.”
“Felix present.”
Third.
Roman:
“Car transfer.”
“Victor rode with us.”
Fourth.
Emma watched his face.
“What?”
Roman looked toward Titan.
“That was the night he stopped sleeping downstairs.”
Sofia whispered:
“Who was here?”
Roman closed his eyes.
“Victor.”
Not proof of control.
But a pattern.
Morales said:
“There’s more.”
Roman waited.
“Remote seized from Felix contains pairing identifiers consistent with the module.”
Emma breathed out.
“So Felix used it.”
“Likely.”
“Can he identify who paid him?”
“He isn’t talking.”
Roman replied:
“He will.”
Morales snapped:
“No.”
Emma actually laughed.
Roman looked at her.
“What?”
“You two have a routine.”
Morales continued.
“We obtained warrants for his financial records.”
“Let us do our job.”
Roman’s expression remained cold.
“What if he’s not safe?”
There was silence.
Morales answered:
“Then perhaps that tells you something about the people around you.”
Roman ended the call.
Emma looked at him.
“What happens at family dinner tonight?”
Sofia answered:
“We eat.”
Emma stared.
“You’re still doing dinner?”
Roman nodded.
“Yes.”
“With Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Knowing this?”
“He doesn’t know we know.”
Emma considered.
“I’m coming.”
Roman immediately said:
“No.”
Sofia immediately said:
“Yes.”
Roman looked at his sister.
Sofia shrugged.
“Victor needs to see Titan.”
Emma frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Titan may react.”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
Both siblings looked at her.
“You are not using a traumatized dog as a lie detector.”
Sofia opened her mouth.
“No.”
Emma repeated.
“His behavior is information.”
“Not proof.”
“Not entertainment.”
Roman nodded.
“She’s right.”
Sofia sighed.
“Fine.”
Then Emma asked:
“Can Titan stay with me during dinner?”
Roman stared.
“In my house?”
“Yes.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
Roman looked toward his dog.
Titan was standing beside Emma.
Again.
He sighed.
“Apparently I don’t control either of you.”
Emma smiled.
“Now you understand pet ownership.”
Dinner began at seven-thirty.
Victor Calder arrived at seven-forty.
He walked into the drawing room smiling.
“Roman.”
Then he saw Emma.
His smile changed.
“And who is this?”
Emma stood.
“Emma Hayes.”
Victor looked toward Titan.
The dog had been lying calmly beside her.
Now his head rose.
No growl.
No panic.
Just attention.
Victor smiled.
“The shopkeeper.”
Emma felt cold.
She had never been introduced that way.
Not publicly.
Not to him.
She looked at Roman.
Roman had noticed too.
His voice became very quiet.
“How do you know where Emma works?”
May you like
Victor’s smile disappeared.
And for the first time that evening, nobody touched the wine.
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