Chapter 4 - Rebecca LaneRebecca Lane was fifty-two.
She wore a gray coat soaked from the rain and carried a small leather bag.
She sat in the hotel conference room with both hands wrapped around a paper cup she never drank from.
Ava sat across from her.
Elena stood nearby.
Detective Hale watched from the corner.
Rebecca looked at Ava for a long time.
Then said:
"You look exactly like your mother."
Ava swallowed.
"You know my mother?"
"I knew her before you were born."
Elena stepped forward.
"How?"
Rebecca looked at her.
"I worked with Daniel."
Elena's expression changed.
"What kind of work?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"Accounting."
Ava frowned.
"Then why were you spying on me?"
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
"I wasn't."
"The photograph."
"I didn't take it."
"Then who did?"
Rebecca looked toward Hale.
"Do you know about Victor?"
The room went still.
Hale said:
"We're looking for him."
Rebecca nodded.
"You won't find him easily."
"Why?"
"Because Victor died three years ago."
Ava stared at her.
"What?"
"He was found dead in a parking garage."
Hale's voice became quieter.
"Police report?"
"Ruled an accident."
"And you don't believe that?"
Rebecca looked at Ava.
"No."
She opened her bag.
Inside was a small envelope.
She placed it on the table.
"This belonged to Victor."
Ava didn't touch it.
"What is it?"
"Something he wanted you to have."
Rebecca slid it closer.
Ava opened the envelope.
Inside was a key.
A tiny brass key.
And a handwritten note.
Room 214. Do not go alone.
Ava looked up.
"What is Room 214?"
Rebecca shook her head.
"I don't know."
Hale immediately asked:
"Did Victor ever tell you?"
"No."
"Then why give this to Ava?"
Rebecca's voice trembled.
"Because he told me that one day she'd ask."
"What would she ask?"
Rebecca looked directly at Ava.
"Why her father was afraid of the truth."
Ava's chest tightened.
"My father isn't afraid."
Rebecca gave her a sad smile.
"He is."
"How do you know?"
"Because I watched him destroy the people who knew."
Elena sat beside Ava.
"Tell us everything."
Rebecca closed her eyes.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because he still has people watching me."
Hale leaned forward.
"Who?"
Rebecca looked toward the window.
Then toward the door.
She lowered her voice.
"I don't know their names."
Ava looked at the key.
"Room 214."
Rebecca nodded.
"It belonged to Victor."
"What was in it?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"A backup."
"A backup of what?"
"Everything."
Hale stood immediately.
"We'll go."
Rebecca grabbed his sleeve.
"No."
He turned.
"Why?"
"Because if you go with police, whoever is watching will know."
"Then why tell us?"
"Because I don't think we have much time left."
Ava felt the room suddenly become too small.
"Time for what?"
Rebecca looked at her.
"For them to erase the rest."
They left the hotel through a side entrance.
Two unmarked cars followed.
Room 214 was in an old apartment building twenty minutes from downtown.
The hallway smelled of dust and wet concrete.
Ava held the key.
Her hand shook.
Hale stood beside her.
"You're not opening that door alone."
Ava nodded.
She inserted the key.
Turned it.
Click.
The door opened.
The apartment was empty.
Almost.
A desk stood in the center of the room.
On it was a single laptop.
The screen was already on.
Ava took one step inside.
The laptop screen flickered.
A file opened automatically.
A video began playing.
Victor appeared on screen.
Older.
Tired.
Terrified.
He looked directly into the camera.
And said:
"If you're watching this, Daniel already knows Ava told her mother."
Ava stopped breathing.
Victor continued.
"And if Daniel knows..."
He looked over his shoulder.
Then whispered:
"...then she's in danger."
The screen went black.
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And beneath the video appeared one sentence.
PHASE TWO HAS BEGUN.
