Chapter 7 - The Shadow of Arthur Vance
The morning sun filtered through the cheap motel blinds, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.
Lily stirred on the bed, rubbing her eyes before looking around the unfamiliar room.
"Where are we?" she asked, her voice raspy.
Evelyn moved to the edge of the bed, her movements cautious, terrified of scaring the child.
"We're on a secret adventure, Lily," Evelyn said, offering a soft, warm smile.
Lily stared at her, tilting her head. "You look like the lady in my daddy's picture frame."
"I am that lady," Evelyn whispered, tears welling up again. "I'm your mommy."
Mark watched from the window, a heavy lump forming in his throat as Lily slowly reached out and touched Evelyn's cheek.
For the first time in years, the crushing weight of grief in Mark's chest began to fracture, letting in a sliver of hope.
"What does this key open?" Mark asked, breaking the emotional silence to stay focused.
"A locker at the old Union Station," Evelyn replied, turning her attention back to the plan.
"Wait, the exact place Arthur wants me to meet him tonight?" Mark asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yes," Evelyn nodded. "Before the crash, I suspected Arthur was stealing from my company. I hid a hard drive in locker 402."
"It contains all the original emails, the forged patent transfers, and the audio recording of Arthur threatening my life," she explained.
"Arthur chose Union Station because he knows about the locker," Mark realized, the trap becoming clear.
"He knows I hid something," Evelyn corrected. "But he doesn't have the key. He wants you to bring the ledger, and he expects me to bring the key to buy our freedom."
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"We can't walk into his trap," Mark said, pacing the small room.
"We aren't going to," Evelyn said, a fierce, protective fire burning in her eyes. "We're going to use his arrogance against him."
