Chapter 4 - The Ghost in the Machine
The sun rose over the Crescent Hills, but it brought no warmth to the Vale estate.
Everett hadn't slept for a single second.
He sat in the armchair beside Poppy’s bed, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.
She was asleep, but her sleep was troubled.
She whimpered occasionally, her small fingers twitching against the blanket.
Every time she moved, Everett’s heart stopped.
At 7:00 AM, a light knock came at the door.
Everett stood up, his joints popping from stiffness.
He opened the door to find Marcus holding a secure tablet.
"We found something," Marcus said shortly.
Everett stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him.
"Tell me."
"The security wipe wasn't done from inside the house," Marcus explained, showing him the tablet.
"It was done remotely, using an encrypted server based out of downtown Bellhaven."
"Can we trace the IP?"
"It’s routed through seven different countries, but the access token used belongs to Vale Industries."
Everett's eyes narrowed.
Vale Industries was a global technology and logistics giant.
Only a handful of people had the administrative clearance to generate that kind of token.
"Who?" Everett demanded.
"The token was assigned to the executive suite," Marcus said. "Your level."
"That's impossible. I didn't do it."
"I know you didn't. But someone with your level of clearance did."
Everett rubbed his face with his hands.
He felt like he was walking through a fog, but the danger was sharp and immediate.
"What about Maribelle?" Everett asked. "Where is she?"
"She checked into the Grand Horizon Hotel downtown at midnight," Marcus said.
"She used her own credit card. She's not hiding."
"Why would she stay in the city after trying to kill my daughter?"
"Because she thinks she's safe," Marcus said. "She knows the video is gone."
"She knows it's her word against yours, and without proof, it's just a domestic dispute."
Everett let out a cold, sharp laugh.
"She thinks she's dealing with a man who cares about the rules."
"Everett, listen to me," Marcus said, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"If you go after her like a madman, she wins. She'll use it to destroy your reputation."
"The board is already nervous about the upcoming merger. If you create a scandal, they'll remove you."
"Let them try," Everett said, his voice deadly quiet. "I built that company."
"And they can take it from you if they think you're unstable," Marcus countered.
"We need to find out who gave her that access token. That's our leverage."
Before Everett could respond, a soft sound came from inside the bedroom.
A tiny, choked sob.
Everett forgot about Marcus, forgot about the company, forgot about the security tokens.
He pushed the door open and rushed to the bed.
Poppy was sitting up, the blankets kicked off.
Her eyes were wide, staring at the floor near the closet.
"Poppy? What is it, sweetheart?" Everett asked, rushing to her side.
He followed her gaze.
Sitting on the floor, still damp and smelling of chlorine, was her white stuffed bear.
The one she had dropped when she was pushed.
Someone had brought it inside and left it there.
Everett felt a chill run down his spine.
"Marcus," Everett called out, not taking his eyes off the toy.
"Did you bring the bear inside last night?"
Marcus walked into the room, looking at the toy.
"No," Marcus said, his hand automatically dropping to his holster.
"I didn't touch it. I thought it was still by the pool."
Everett stood up, shielding Poppy with his body.
The house was supposed to be locked. The gates were supposed to be secure.
May you like
But someone had entered the house while they were downstairs in the security room.
Someone had left a message.
