Chapter 1
Rocco did not ask the question twice.
He handed Mia to Julia Reed, the museum director, who had already crossed the exhibit hall after hearing the commotion.
“Take her to your office.”
Mia caught his sleeve.
“Dad.”
“I’m right here.”
She stared past him toward Adrian.
Even with the old glasses on, she looked frightened.
Rocco crouched.
“What did you see?”
Celeste immediately stepped forward.
“She’s four. She gets confused when she wakes up at night.”
Rocco turned his head.
“Did I ask you?”
Celeste stopped.
Mia whispered, “Uncle Adrian uses your phone.”
Rocco looked at his cousin.
Adrian’s expression barely moved.
“What phone?”
“Daddy’s black one.”
Rocco carried two phones. His personal phone was black and almost never left his bedroom at night.
Mia continued.
“He comes when it’s dark. Celeste takes my glasses and says go back to bed.”
“How many times?”
Mia lifted three fingers.
Celeste shook her head.
“She’s mixing up dreams.”
Mia looked at her.
“I had my old glasses.”
That explained Adrian’s panic.
He had believed the child could not see clearly.
Rocco stood.
“What was Adrian doing with my phone?”
Mia frowned, trying to remember.
“Putting numbers.”
Adrian finally spoke.
“This is ridiculous.”
Rocco ignored him.
“Anything else?”
Mia nodded.
“Boxes.”
“What boxes?”
“The museum boxes.”
Julia looked sharply at her.
Rocco noticed.
“What does that mean?”
Julia hesitated.
“The padded equipment cases we use to transport exhibits.”
Adrian laughed.
“You’re interrogating a preschooler at a donor reception.”
Rocco looked at him.
“You tried to take her spare glasses.”
“I was trying to calm this down.”
“No.”
Rocco picked up the crushed frames from the carpet.
“You were trying to take away the one thing proving she could see.”
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
Julia led Mia toward her office.
Before leaving, Mia turned back.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Uncle Adrian wears your coat sometimes.”
Rocco frowned.
“My coat?”
“The long gray one.”
He owned a charcoal overcoat with a distinctive Moretti crest stitched inside the collar.
Adrian did not.
Rocco slowly looked toward his cousin.
May you like
That morning, the coat had been hanging in Rocco’s private study at his Weston home.
The same house Adrian had supposedly never entered after midnight.
