Page 114 of The Protégé

I’d been shockedmany times in my life, but this was the most beautiful surprise that could ever happen to me. I’d met Elena all those years ago and didn’t know it. It was before I even connected with Madame Sarcasm.

“You were at the park with another kid. I didn’t see your face clearly. Everything happened so quickly that day. I targeted you because you weren’t with a crowd of people. I was so nervous.”

“Can I take it back? I’m gonna steal it if you say no.” She tucked it behind her back.

I grinned. “You’re not stealing it—it’s yours. Take it. Thank you for letting me borrow it all these years.”

Elena held the brooch to her chest, smiling and looking so beautiful my heart almost burst. “I can’t wait to show my mom this. She’d be thrilled to see this again.”

“I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” I cupped her face and kissed her gently. “It brought us together.”

She nodded. “You never know what life has in store for you just around the corner. Just when I thought I’d lost it forever,it’s returned to me in the most profound way.” She paused and studied me.

I could see the wheels in her head turning. She wanted to say something to me, but settled on something else. The emotions in her eyes revealed a lot about her. I respected her space and didn’t question it. Eventually she’d tell me.

“I was with Elliot that day,” she said. “We were going to attend a citywide ping-pong tournament. I didn’t realize I’d lost it until I got home.”

My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pants pocket, glancing at the number.

“Hi, Ralph. Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”

“I’m packing up. But I thought you’d want to know Sam is dead. His body was found floating in the Providence. A boater discovered him. Do you need me to do anything?”

“There’s nothing more important than for you to go back to Sweden and make Evelyn happy. She loves you. Show her. We have other trusted members on our team. Go home.”

“Okay. Okay. All the info I have on him is on the shared drive.”

“Thanks.” I tucked the phone away.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes and no,” I said. “Sam is dead.”

I’d planned on speaking to him and Carlos separately. But now I had to shift to Plan B.

“Oh my God.” Elena clamped a hand over her mouth. “Who do you think killed him?”

“A man like him has a lot of enemies. Could be anyone.”

But I had a feeling it was The Trogyn.

“Let’s go back to my office. I found some things that linked Sam to the life insurance scam with several banks.”

Inside her office, I pulled the chair beside her so I could look at her computer screen. She slid the manila folder over to me.“The interviews I did with people who live within the vicinity of The Condor’s apartment are in there. One acquaintance was very helpful. She called me earlier today.”

Elena briefed me on the info from her conversation with Mona.

“Sam works for Apex Insurance and Financial Investments, which is part of Orange Leaf Investments, which is part of Norwell Bank, which falls under Stockholm Bank.”

“From Stockholm, Sweden?”

The Reimann Sienna Bank owns Stockholm Bank. I needed to have a meeting with my father before I called a board meeting.

“Yes.” She nodded. “It appears the people who died were coerced into suicide. I interviewed a family who wants to remain anonymous. The son recorded a conversation his father had with a banker. The banker blackmailed him with some embarrassing information. The man said he didn’t have money to continue paying for his life insurance. He was told to pay the early termination fee or they’d release personal information about him on the web. He didn’t have money to pay them.” Sadness strained her face. “His family—his children—didn’t know he was gay. And he’d rather die than face their judgment. It’s really sad.”

I’d never met a journalist who cared as much as she did. If more people cared like her, this world would be a better place.

“And the banker cashed in the life insurance.”

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