Chapter 7
Marcus parked the sedan alongside the curb, cutting the engine immediately. The sudden silence inside the car was deafening, save for the patter of heavy rain hitting the roof. In the backseat, Lily stirred slightly at the loss of engine vibration, letting out a soft sigh before settling back into her deep, exhausted sleep.
Claire turned around, gently unbuckling the sleeping child and scooping her up into her arms with practiced care. Lily’s head rested heavily against Claire’s beige shoulder, her pink party hat falling loose and tumbling onto the car floor. Claire didn't bother to pick it up; her focus was entirely on getting the child safely inside to her mother.
Marcus reached across the console, pushed the passenger door open, and stepped out into the freezing downpour. He popped his umbrella open with a sharp snap, holding it over Claire as she hurried out of the car and toward the apartment entrance.
The woman waiting under the awning—Claire’s older sister, Sarah—rushed forward, her face a mask of frantic relief. "What took you so long? Do you know what time it is? She was supposed to be back an hour ago!" Sarah hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to wake her daughter.
"There was traffic, Sarah. Everything is fine," Claire said, her voice strained as she shifted Lily’s weight in her arms. "Just take her inside, please."
Sarah looked past Claire at Marcus, who stood silently under the black umbrella, his dark suit soaked at the cuffs by the driving rain. Sarah’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. She knew Marcus; she knew the high-stakes world he and her sister inhabited. She knew that whenever Marcus Thorne was around, trouble was never far behind.
"What happened, Claire?" Sarah demanded, stepping back to let them into the brightly lit lobby. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing happened, Sarah. Just a long afternoon," Claire replied quickly, stepping inside out of the rain. She handed the sleeping child over to her mother. Sarah took Lily instinctively, resting the little girl's head against her shoulder while keeping a wary eye on Marcus, who remained standing just inside the glass doorway.
"Go on up," Marcus said softly to Claire. "I'll wait in the car. We have twenty minutes before we need to head downtown."
May you like
Claire hesitated, looking back at Marcus with an expression that held a mixture of fear and reluctant gratitude. She nodded once, turned, and followed her sister up the carpeted staircase without looking back.
Marcus let out a long breath, watching the glass door swing shut. He walked back out into the rain, his mind racing against the ticking clock. Midnight was approaching fast, and the ghost of Arthur Vance was waiting in the dark.
