A troubled child, a devoted stepmother, an overwhelmed father, a sensible financial arrangement.

No one would have seen the crime, because the crime was disguised as concern, which is the most dangerous disguise there is.

And it had been, Marcus realized, weeks from completion, perhaps days.

If Lily had waited even a little longer to find her courage, if Marcus had caught a later flight, if the trust inquiry had not been flagged, the machine might have finished its work before anyone thought to look.

His daughter’s whispered warning had not merely been timely.