Chapter 8 - Echoes of the Past
The afternoon sun shifted, casting long, amber shadows across the office as my phone buzzed against the table. I picked it up, expecting another automated bank alert or a call from the daycare regarding Leo’s afternoon snack.
Instead, it was an unknown caller ID with a local Manhattan prefix.
I hesitated for a second before pressing accept. "Hello?"
"Is this Sarah Carter?" a crisp, professional voice asked on the other end.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"My name is Detective Miller, NYPD Financial Crimes Unit. I'm calling in regard to the ongoing investigation into Le Gabriel and Gregory Vance."
My breath caught in my throat. I glanced over at Ethan, who immediately noticed the sudden tension in my posture and stopped pacing across the room.
"Is everything alright, Detective?" I asked, my voice tightening.
"We've been going through the digital hard drives recovered from Gregory's apartment," Detective Miller continued smoothly. "We found a series of internal messaging logs and emergency contact files. It appears Gregory wasn't just running a black-market meat ring and skimming payroll. He had a file containing personal background checks, home addresses, and confidential employment records for every single staff member who ever filed a complaint against him."
A cold spike of adrenaline pierced through my chest. "Why would he keep files like that?"
"Intimidation leverage," the detective replied grimly. "And Ms. Carter... your file was flagged with a very specific, aggressive tag. Someone accessed your employment history and your current residential address through an unauthorized terminal registered to a shell company in New Jersey less than two hours ago—right after Gregory was booked."
I stood up so fast my chair scraped loudly against the hardwood floor. "An unauthorized terminal? But Gregory is in custody! Who else could access that?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," Detective Miller said. "Mr. Vance had associates who handled his external distribution channels. We believe someone from his inner circle is attempting to tie up loose ends. We've dispatched a patrol unit to monitor your apartment building, but I strongly advise you to remain in a secure, high-security location until we locate the breach."
The call disconnected with a sharp click.
I stood frozen, the phone trembling in my hand. The illusion of safety I had felt in Ethan’s fortified skyscraper suddenly fractured. Gregory might have been behind bars, but the machine he built—the network of ruthless thugs and corrupt fixers—was still out there, and they knew where I lived.
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"Sarah," Ethan said, closing the distance between us in two swift strides, his hand firmly grasping my shoulder. "What did they say?"
"They didn't just find ledgers on Gregory's hard drive," I whispered, looking up into Ethan's dark, unyielding eyes. "They found my background file. Someone accessed my address from an outside terminal two hours ago. We're not safe, Ethan. Not yet."
