Julian’s breathing grew shallow.
The monitor accelerated.
A nurse entered.
“Mr. Duca, that’s enough.”
Adrian did not move.
Julian whispered:
“Board vote.”
“What?”
“Don’t sign Halcyon.”
Adrian froze.
Julian’s eyes closed.
The nurse stepped between.
“You need to go.”
Adrian left.
Elena stood.
“What?”
“He knows the merger.”
“Publicly rumored.”
“No.”
“The terms.”
“He said don’t sign Halcyon.”
Elena’s face changed.
“Who outside board knows closing is tomorrow?”
“Bankers.”
“Counsel.”
“Senior executives.”
“Daniel.”
Adrian’s phone buzzed.
Daniel Mercer.
4:27 a.m.
Adrian stared at screen.
Elena said:
“Do not answer yet.”
It stopped.
Then buzzed again.
Daniel.
A message appeared.
Heard there are police at Beacon Hill. Are you all right?
Adrian looked at Elena.
“How does he know?”
“Police scanner.”
“Security vendor.”
“Neighbor.”
“Could be anything.”
Another message.
Call me immediately.
Elena held out hand.
“Give me phone.”
Adrian did.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
She turned it face down.
“First we verify.”
By 6:02 a.m., preliminary DNA comparison was not yet complete, but fingerprints produced an impossible result.
The hospital security liaison called Elena into a small conference room.
Adrian followed.
A Boston police detective placed a printout on table.
“The fingerprints match archived Massachusetts records for Julian Matteo Duca.”
Adrian stared.
Julian had been fingerprinted at twenty-two after getting arrested during an anti-development protest outside his own father’s construction project.
His father had been furious.
Adrian had laughed for months.
The detective said:
“There’s another problem.”
“What?”
“Mr. Duca is legally deceased.”
“I’m aware.”
“That complicates every database.”
Adrian sat.
The detective continued:
“We need federal involvement because he alleges interstate unlawful confinement and identity fraud.”
“Not yet,” Elena said.
The detective looked.
She clarified:
“I’m not obstructing.”
“I’m saying coordinate before details become public.”
“This man may be a target.”
The detective nodded.
“We agree.”
Adrian’s phone rang again.
Daniel.
He answered this time.
Elena looked sharply.
Adrian put speaker off and held to ear.
“Daniel.”
“Thank God.”
Daniel sounded genuinely worried.
“I’ve been calling.”
“I was busy.”
“Police contacted house security.”
“What happened?”
Adrian stared through hospital glass.
“Grace Harper collapsed.”
“Your cleaner?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t explain police.”
“There was another incident.”
Silence.
“What incident?”
Adrian let three seconds pass.
“Someone broke into study.”
Daniel’s breathing changed so slightly another person might miss.
Adrian did not.
“Were you hurt?”
“No.”
“Anything taken?”