“The box is gone, Marcus,” Emily lied, her heart hammering against her ribs. “My lawyer has it.”
“Your lawyer is a man who likes his pension,” Marcus replied. “Let’s not make this difficult. Lily was smart, but she wasn’t strong. I hope you’re smarter.”
The next morning, Emily didn’t go to the police. She knew Marcus had eyes in the precinct. Instead, she went to Mr. Hayes. The gray-haired attorney looked at the ledgers and his face went ashen.
“Lily knew,” Hayes murmured. “She told me she was afraid of ‘the business,’ but I thought she meant Jason’s temper. If this goes public, half the city council falls with Marcus Vane.”
“Then let it fall,” Emily said.
But the drama escalated when Rachel—the mistress who had vanished—suddenly appeared at the law office. She looked haggard, her designer clothes replaced by a cheap hoodie.
