This was the tidiness of a cover-up, already in motion, already professional.

Which told me two things.

It told me that whoever hurt Chloe had the kind of power that can make cameras fail and witnesses vanish.

And it told me that they were absolutely certain, down to their bones, that people like them never answer for anything.

They had good reason to be certain.

It is almost always true.

It was not going to be true this time.

Chapter 4 — Three Names