like coconut air fr

mped into the passenger seat, my phone clutched like a g

The silence wasn't awkward it was loaded. Like

wheel like it had personally betrayed he

croix legal audit. Then I got an email from a law firm saying I m

ure it wa

doesn't know my name. Or

epy. I don'

city lights blurring into g

. wha

e question,

-me-downs. Now, suddenly, someone was dangling money I never knew exis

n't powerful. She was a single parent who lived p

ing else, too somethi

firm," I said. "Fi

side-eyed me. "And

abou

idn't drop a mystery-bomb on you, smir

"I don't

But come on, you have to

dang

ed. "Dange

ecause unfortunatel

hit like a hangov

ee missed calls from an unknown numbe

erling & Parrish

umbled, sitti

dream now. But the text?

y r

bed, blinking groggily. "Tell

es again. Still nothing from Alec. Not that

halo of messy curls

sing on jeans and a cropped hoodie. "And if someo

g up at a mirrored skyscraper with a name that

ofile law firm. Zero Yelp revie

e all black and didn't blink once as she escorted us into a slee

ed navy suit, entering with a folder i

d, trying to sound

s file was flagged in our rece

er. "What doe

ed as a beneficiary of a dormant trust set up by th

er heard of that. She n

ing most beneficiaries are notified by de

"You're saying some

ied in a category labeled 'Irregular Holdings.' But after a recent

ec promp

's offshore accounts," she continued

he. "And my mom'

ent trail. Several mont

uised

es. Care stipend

ent cold.

ked at me,

gut. "You're saying my mom was... p

ound mine und

ne, there's a possibility that Project Huron was... a c

ou're saying I'm Ale

ple heirs, and the connection is... complicated. But you may

om had a kid with some

ut based on our records, it's possible your mother was entitled to

he ground und

pens now?

need to subpoena full trust records.

it does

arrish said plainly. "To

lked out in s

nly. "Something greasy. Something a

like two girls who just found out they might be se

ieve this,"

cret relationship with one of the Delacroix elders, got shut

h," I said.

actually be the least

phone buzzed. Thi

d to talk. W

swer. Inste

ng & Parrish. Thanks

ied imm

It was a warning. Someo

rippled u

they should s

he archives tonight. Midnig

hould I t

ame three d

e who lost someone. And if you dig a

ver. "Midnight archive meeting? That'

uld sa

ou're

rse I'm

lt in the 1800s, barely renovated, full of dusty records and rumors about sec

lls were dead silent, lit only by exit signs and a few

eaning against a metal filing

ame,"

resist t

me a folde

documents, faded invo

fr

th a boy I didn't recognize but something ab

..." I w

ey said. But I found out he disappeared right after that photo

o you think they

I think they were in love. And I think s

t him. "Why t

lose money. She lost safety. P

d hard. "S

w we find out who wanted her erased. And

enough that I could smell

't trust me,"

," I

ma

else, the lights flickered-and a cra

on sharpened. "