Chapter 10: The Secret in the Lining
While Martha prepared the second-floor suite, Victoria led the boys into the brightly lit, modern kitchen. She insisted that Leo sit at the marble island while she prepared a warm cup of cocoa and a plate of homemade cookies. Julian sat right beside him, chattering excitedly about video games and comic books, doing everything in his power to distract Leo from the lingering trauma of the day. Leo sipped the hot chocolate cautiously, his shoulders slowly dropping away from his ears as the warmth spread through his freezing frame. The raw terror in his eyes receded just a fraction, replaced by a cautious, tentative disbelief.
"Leo," Victoria said gently, setting a fresh bandage and antiseptic cream next to his plate. "Earlier, you mentioned a flash drive that your mother gave you before... before that terrible night. Do you still have it?"
Leo froze. His hand tightened around the ceramic mug until his knuckles turned white. He looked up at Victoria, suspicion and fear warring in his dark eyes. "Why do you want to know?" he whispered defensively. "Are you going to take it and give it to the bad men?"
"No, Leo, never," Victoria replied firmly, kneeling down beside his stool so she was at eye level with him. "I am an attorney. My entire job is to protect people who cannot protect themselves. If those men are looking for that flash drive, and they know your mother gave it to you, then you are in terrible danger—and so are we. Keeping it hidden is no longer safe. If we have evidence of what they did, we can take it to the federal authorities—people who cannot be bought off by corrupt real estate moguls."
Leo bit his lower lip, tears welling up in his eyes once more. He looked down at the oversized, torn gray hoodie he was wearing. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he reached inside the front pocket, searching along the hem. His small fingers found a loose seam near the inner lining. With a gentle tug, he pulled out a small, dark object wrapped securely in several layers of waterproof plastic tape and duct tape. He placed it carefully on the pristine marble countertop, sliding it across to Victoria as if it were a live grenade.
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Victoria picked up the small package with shaking fingers. She carefully peeled away the layers of tape until a sleek, black USB drive fell out into her palm. The cold plastic felt heavy, carrying the weight of a murdered woman's final desperate act and the secret life of her surviving son.
"Good boy," Victoria whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She slipped the drive into her blazer pocket, sealing it away. "This stays with me. Starting tomorrow, we begin fighting back."
