Claire stopped breathing for a moment. Her father had met repeatedly with an insurance representative in the months before the archive fire. The representative’s first name was David.

My father’s name had been David Reed.

I remembered Ethan standing beside me at my father’s funeral. I remembered the way he watched the coffin. I remembered him asking about my father’s old files after the service.

At the time I thought he was helping me settle the estate. Now I wondered whether he had been searching for something.

Martin opened the final evidence sleeve from the lockbox. Inside was an old photograph. Claire’s father stood in front of one of the Mercer buildings.

Victor Hale stood beside him. A third man stood near the edge of the frame. The image was faded, but I recognized him at once. It was my father.