Chapter 13 - TWENTY-FOUR HOURS
They had less than twenty-four hours.
Ryan returned to Emily’s study.
He searched everything.
Books.
Frames.
Floorboards.
Nothing.
Then he remembered Ava’s drawing.
The red sun.
Emily used to play a game with Ava.
Find the sunshine.
She hid small yellow stickers around the house.
Ava would follow them to prizes.
Ryan searched the old family photo albums.
On one photograph, Emily had drawn a tiny sun.
The picture showed Ava at eighteen months sitting beneath a giant oak tree on the Collins estate.
Ryan drove there.
The estate had been unused since Emily died.
Beneath the tree was a stone bench.
Under it, sealed inside a waterproof tube, was a key.
A bank key.
Marcus traced the number.
Private vault.
Los Angeles.
Inside was Emily’s ledger.
Hundreds of pages.
Evidence capable of destroying careers.
And a letter.
Ryan,
If Ava ever leads you here, then I was right to trust her future more than our past.
Do not protect the company.
Protect her.
Ryan cried for the first time since the kidnapping.
Then he closed the ledger.
Maya wanted copies made.
Ryan agreed.
Every page was scanned.
The original went into a bag.
At 11:38 p.m., Natalie’s lawyer delivered coordinates.
The lighthouse property.
Ryan wore a wire.
Police positioned nearby.
He entered alone.
Inside, Ava sat on a couch.
Untouched.
Terrified.
Ryan almost ran toward her.
Natalie appeared.
Gun in hand.
“Ledger.”
“Let Ava go.”
“First the ledger.”
Ryan held it up.
Ava cried.
“Daddy.”
“I’m here.”
Natalie smiled.
“You should hear how many times she asked for you.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened.
“Give her to me.”
Natalie looked toward the door.
Then another person emerged from the shadows.
Evan.
Ryan stared.
His brother was holding a second gun.
Ava whispered—
“Uncle Evan?”
Ryan’s face collapsed.
Evan looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
Natalie smiled.
“This is the part where you finally learn something, Ryan.”
May you like
She stepped closer.
“Your brother never stopped working for me.”
