Chapter 3 - THE MAN WITH TWO NAMESThe darkness lasted only a few seconds.
When the emergency lights flickered on, Celeste was running toward the rear hallway.
Ethan grabbed Sophie and followed.
The kitchen door slammed.
By the time Ethan reached the terrace, Celeste was climbing into a silver sedan.
Richard sat behind the wheel.
The car accelerated down the private drive before Ethan could reach it.
He immediately called the estate security office.
No one answered.
He called the police next.
Anna’s warning had told him not to contact them before opening Locker 317.
But Sophie was safe.
Celeste and Richard were escaping.
Ethan could not risk waiting.
He reported the attempted abduction, the passports, and the airline tickets.
Then he carried Sophie upstairs.
Her bedroom ceiling was painted dark blue and covered with tiny silver stars.
Anna had designed it before Sophie was born.
The blue key is where Sophie sleeps with the stars.
Ethan searched beneath the bed.
He checked the drawers.
He opened the toy chest.
Sophie watched from the doorway.
“Mommy said the moon keeps secrets.”
Ethan looked toward the round silver moon painted above the headboard.
He pressed its edge.
A small wooden panel opened.
Inside was a cloth rabbit Sophie had slept with as a baby.
One seam had been carefully restitched.
Ethan opened it with a pair of scissors.
A blue metal key fell into his palm.
Stamped into its side were three numbers.
There was also a folded card.
HARBOR NATIONAL TRUST.
GREENWICH PRIVATE VAULTS.
Ethan placed the key and card in his pocket.
Police arrived ten minutes later.
Detective Laura Bennett listened while Sophie described what happened.
Celeste had entered her room before lunch.
She told Sophie they were taking a secret trip.
When Sophie refused to leave without her father, Celeste became angry.
She took Anna’s photograph from the nightstand.
Sophie tried to get it back.
Celeste ordered her into the suitcase.
“She said she would open it at the airport,” Sophie whispered.
Detective Bennett kept her voice gentle.
“Did anyone help her?”
“Richard carried the suitcase downstairs.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
Richard had worked as a financial adviser for Mercer Holdings.
He had access to Ethan’s business schedules and travel records.
He also controlled several company accounts.
Ethan checked his phone.
Richard’s employee profile had been deleted from the company system.
Someone had removed it seventeen minutes earlier.
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A message appeared from the company’s chief accountant.
Mr. Mercer, forty-eight million dollars just disappeared from the family trust.
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