Chapter 5
Chapter 5 - The Net TightensIn his corner office overlooking the Boston harbor, Julian Vance poured two fingers of expensive scotch. He didn't look like a grieving husband anymore; he looked like a predator whose favorite toy had escaped its terrarium.Across from his desk sat Marcus, a private investigator with a broken nose and eyes that had seen too many dark secrets. Marcus laid a manila folder on the desk.
"She’s smart, Julian," Marcus said, leaning back. "She didn't use her car, her cards, or her phone. Took a Greyhound out of the city. But she made one mistake."
Julian’s eyes narrowed. "What?"
"She has an account with an online community for digital artists. Two days ago, someone logged into that account using a hidden IP address, but the server routing node originated from a small telecom hub in coastal Maine. Specifically, the Knox County region." Marcus smiled, a humorless baring of teeth. "There are only three small towns in that radius. I’m heading up there tonight."
Julian tapped his fountain pen against the mahogany wood, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap echoing the heartbeat of his obsession. "Bring her back, Marcus. But don't touch her face. We have an anniversary gala in three weeks, and she needs to look perfect for the cameras."
"Understood," Marcus nodded, taking the folder.
Back in Oakhaven, the winter was arriving early. The air carried the sharp tang of frost. Clara sat by her wood stove, the burner phone open in her hand. She had noticed the subtle signs—a stranger asking the mail carrier about new residents, a drone flying low over the cliffs near her cottage.
She knew she should run again. Pack the bag, catch another bus, change her name to another alias. But as she looked around the small, warm cottage, at the sketches on the wall, and thought of Liam’s steady, quiet smile, a new feeling took root in her chest.
Anger.
She was tired of running. She was tired of abandoning her life, her name, and her dignity because a monstrous man couldn't control his desire for possession. If she ran now, she would be running for the rest of her life.
May you like
She stood up and walked down to the boatyard. The sky was bruising into a deep violet twilight. Liam was just shutting down the table saw when she entered, her eyes bright with an intensity he hadn't seen before.
"Liam," she said, her voice shaking but resolute. "I need to tell you the truth. My name isn't Maya."
