Chapter 3 - The First Crack in His Story
Security Room B smelled like dust, carpet adhesive, and old coffee.
Laurel sat at the narrow conference table while Jonah Keene, the Halcyon’s head of security, reviewed access records on two monitors.
Across from her sat Preston.
Camille stood behind his chair.
Elias remained near the door.
Laurel had told him twice he didn’t need to stay.
He had replied the same way both times.
“I know.”
That was all.
He wasn’t claiming authority over the investigation.
He wasn’t speaking for her.
He was simply there because he had information relevant to how Preston entered the gala.
Laurel hated how much that mattered.
Jonah adjusted his glasses.
“Let’s establish facts.”
Preston leaned back.
“Finally.”
Jonah ignored him.
“The bracelet was logged into Secure Storage B at 7:15 p.m. Ms. Hensley’s keycard entered the room at 7:18.”
Laurel nodded.
“I entered to verify the auction presentation order.”
“And left at?”
“Approximately 7:20.”
Jonah checked the screen.
“7:21.”
“Fine.”
“The next registered entry was me at 7:49. The case was gone.”
Preston spread his hands.
“There you have it.”
Laurel looked at him.
“Do you usually confess to stupidity this quickly, or is tonight special?”
Camille inhaled.
Preston leaned forward.
“You were the only person in the room.”
“You don’t know that.”
“The security log does.”
“No. The security log knows whose cards were scanned.”
Elias looked toward her.
Laurel continued.
“Check the service door.”
Jonah frowned.
“It doesn’t use staff keycards.”
“Exactly.”
The storage room shared a service access corridor with audiovisual staging.
Contractors used temporary magnetic credentials.
Jonah began typing.
Preston’s expression tightened.
Camille noticed.
“Laurel,” she said, “why would Preston steal a bracelet?”
Laurel turned toward her.
“I didn’t say he did.”
“You’re implying it.”
“No. I’m asking security to investigate everyone instead of stopping at the person your fiancé brought here to humiliate.”
Camille’s chin lifted.
“He didn’t bring me to humiliate you.”
Laurel held her gaze.
“Then what did he tell you?”
Silence.
Preston answered for her.
“That you were bitter.”
Laurel almost smiled.
“Of course.”
“That you couldn’t accept the breakup.”
“Preston.”
His name came from Camille this time.
He ignored her.
“You think because some wealthy man noticed you tonight that suddenly you’re important.”
Elias’s expression didn’t change.
Laurel’s did.
Not anger.
Something quieter.
“You still think that’s what this is about.”
“What else would it be?”
Laurel stood.
“For five years, I thought your ambition was courage.”
Preston’s mouth tightened.
“I thought wanting more meant you were brave enough to build something. I didn’t understand that what you actually wanted was an audience.”
“Sit down, Laurel.”
She froze.
Not because she was frightened.
Because of how familiar the command sounded.
Elias took half a step forward.
Laurel lifted one hand without looking at him.
He stopped.
She looked directly at Preston.
“You don’t tell me where to sit anymore.”
No one spoke.
Then Jonah’s computer chimed.
He leaned closer.
“There.”
“What?” Laurel asked.
“Temporary contractor credential entered the audiovisual corridor at 7:23.”
“Whose?”
Jonah clicked.
A vendor profile appeared.
The photograph showed a thirty-something man Laurel recognized vaguely.
“Derek Shaw,” she said. “Wade Systems subcontractor.”
Preston’s face changed.
It was tiny.
But Laurel saw it.
So did Camille.
“Your company has a contractor working tonight?” Camille asked.
Preston recovered.
“We handle payment integration for events all over the city.”
“Not this event,” Laurel said.
Caleb entered carrying a laptop.
His eyes went immediately to Laurel.
“IT traced the forged email.”
Preston stood.
“This is absurd. I don’t have time—”
“Sit down,” Camille said.
Everyone looked at her.
Preston stared.
“What?”
Camille moved away from his chair.
“You heard me.”
It was the first time all evening Laurel saw the woman without Preston’s hand around some part of her.
Camille looked younger suddenly.
Less polished.
More uncertain.
Caleb set the laptop down.
“The message was generated through a remote login using Laurel’s employee number.”
“From where?” Jonah asked.
“A guest Wi-Fi device.”
Caleb clicked.
“The device was registered at check-in to Camille Dorsey.”
Camille went white.
“What?”
Preston said quickly, “Phones get cloned. You know that.”
Camille looked at him.
“Preston.”
“Don’t.”
“You borrowed my tablet in the car.”
“For five minutes.”
“You said you needed to send your board an email.”
“Camille, this is not the time.”
Her expression changed.
Laurel recognized that change too.
The first moment a woman hears the wrong sentence and realizes an entire relationship may have been built around controlling which questions she was allowed to ask.
Jonah’s radio came alive.
“We found the case.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
“AV storage. Empty.”
Laurel shut her eyes briefly.
The bracelet was still missing.
Jonah continued listening.
May you like
Then glanced at Preston.
“And we have Derek Shaw in custody downstairs.”
