That silenced him.
Marcus arranged for two former investigators to remain nearby.
No sirens.
No official involvement yet.
We still did not know how far Meridian’s influence extended.
At 5:30 p.m., we arrived at the warehouse.
The building leaned toward the river like a tired animal.
Broken windows.
Rusting doors.
Wind scraping debris across concrete.
Sofia stayed inside Marcus’s vehicle.
Alexander hated it.
She insisted.
“If Carmen sees Dad but not me, she’ll know something is wrong.”
“You are not going inside.”
“Fine.”
She pointed at the earpiece Marcus had given her.
“But I’m listening.”
We entered.
Carmen stood beneath a hanging industrial light.
No wedding clothes.
No expensive jewelry.
No carefully styled mother-of-the-groom image.
She wore black slacks and a gray coat.
Beside her stood Javier.
Alive.
Untied.
Uninjured.
Sofia’s voice came through my earpiece.
“I knew that photo was fake.”
Javier looked nervous.
