I knew the conference center immediately.<\/p>\n
The photograph showed me standing beside a glass entrance beneath a banner for the Midwestern Design Collaborative\u2019s annual conference. I was twenty-eight, thinner in the face, wearing the black blazer I had bought because I thought successful designers were supposed to own one.<\/p>\n
My portfolio case was tucked beneath my arm.<\/p>\n
Behind me, reflected faintly in the glass, were people entering and leaving the building.<\/p>\n
I remembered that morning.<\/p>\n
I remembered being nervous enough to arrive forty minutes early.<\/p>\n
What I did not remember was anyone taking my picture.<\/p>\n
Detective Shaw enlarged the image on her tablet.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the background.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat am I looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
A man in a navy suit stood near a planter.<\/p>\n
A woman with blond hair held a coffee cup.<\/p>\n
Two hotel employees were wheeling boxes through a side door.<\/p>\n
Nothing meant anything.<\/p>\n
Then Clare touched the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed to the glass beside my shoulder.<\/p>\n
A figure stood farther behind the photographer.<\/p>\n
Male.<\/p>\n
Tall.<\/p>\n
Face distorted by glare.<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat could be anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Shaw said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan they enhance it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey already are.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the timestamp.<\/p>\n
Six years earlier.<\/p>\n
Two years before Dererick and I supposedly met at a friend\u2019s rooftop birthday party.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does the server say about this picture?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw opened a text window.<\/p>\n
The entry was sparse.<\/p>\n
A17.<\/p>\n
Candidate observation.<\/p>\n
Initial suitability confirmed.<\/p>\n
I read the words twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat suitability?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas I already a graduation candidate?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot necessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does candidate mean then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly someone being evaluated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood and walked away from the table.<\/p>\n
The protected interview room had no windows, and suddenly that felt appropriate.<\/p>\n
There was nowhere to look that could pretend the world outside was normal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho took the photograph?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho uploaded it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is A17?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what do we know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw did not react to my anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know someone associated with A17 was interested in you before your relationship with Dererick began.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInterested how?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the part we\u2019re trying to establish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare said, \u201cCould Dererick have known Anna then?\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost dismissed it.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you met two years later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny chance you crossed paths before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame industry events?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Dererick wasn\u2019t in design.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMutual acquaintances?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about medical-equipment vendors at the conference?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question made me pause.<\/p>\n
There had been booths.<\/p>\n
Not just design firms.<\/p>\n
Software vendors, printing companies, office suppliers.<\/p>\n
Maybe health-care brands sponsoring breakout sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThink.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Conference badges.<\/p>\n
Coffee stations.<\/p>\n
Carpet with geometric patterns.<\/p>\n
A panel about packaging.<\/p>\n
A networking lunch I nearly skipped.<\/p>\n
Then something surfaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a presentation on hospital branding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPatient experience. Wayfinding. Medical systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho sponsored it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you attend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a client in outpatient care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone speak to you afterward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone memorable?\u201d<\/p>\n
I searched.<\/p>\n
A woman complimented my portfolio.<\/p>\n
A gray-haired man asked whether I freelanced.<\/p>\n
Someone gave me a business card I later lost.<\/p>\n
Then an image appeared in memory.<\/p>\n
A younger man standing near the refreshments.<\/p>\n
Dark hair.<\/p>\n
Easy smile.<\/p>\n
He had asked whether the seminar was useful.<\/p>\n
I opened my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSay it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDererick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you recognize him six years younger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI should.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t see the face clearly in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare watched me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked about the panel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he worked with hospital systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
Dererick sold medical equipment.<\/p>\n
At least that was the life I knew.<\/p>\n
Shaw asked, \u201cDid he give you a name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you keep conference materials?\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix years?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a designer.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was fair.<\/p>\n
I kept everything longer than sensible.<\/p>\n
Old brochures.<\/p>\n
Print samples.<\/p>\n
Event lanyards.<\/p>\n
Boxes of notebooks.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy office storage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready being searched.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell them to look for conference materials.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw called Price.<\/p>\n
While she spoke, I sat beside Clare.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think it was him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2019re thinking it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The possibility made our entire marriage feel unstable.<\/p>\n
If Dererick had seen me before we officially met, the rooftop party might not have been chance.<\/p>\n
Our first conversation.<\/p>\n
Our first date.<\/p>\n
The restaurant he chose.<\/p>\n
The second date when he remembered I disliked olives.<\/p>\n
All those details I had once interpreted as attention could have been preparation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you meet at the party?\u201d Shaw asked after ending the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend Marissa introduced us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCole.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill in contact?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOccasionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she know Dererick before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you attend the party with someone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho invited him?\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth.<\/p>\n
Closed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed Marissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never confirmed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw wrote the name down.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you call her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot from my phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare handed me hers.<\/p>\n
I stared at Marissa\u2019s contact information after searching social media.<\/p>\n
We had exchanged holiday messages three months earlier.<\/p>\n
Nothing dramatic.<\/p>\n
Nothing that prepared me to ask whether she had unknowingly introduced me to a man selected for me years before.<\/p>\n
I called.<\/p>\n
She answered on the fifth ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa, it\u2019s Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna? Different number.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m using Clare\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word came out sharper than intended.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to ask you about the rooftop party where I met Dererick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s random.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho invited him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh. I don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna, that was years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something in my voice changed hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Julian brought him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Shaw looked up.<\/p>\n
My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know Elaine Mercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cElaine is Julian\u2019s sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare and I looked at each other.<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow well do you know them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian and I worked together briefly. Elaine, not much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Dererick Julian\u2019s friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Julian specifically ask whether I\u2019d be there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa stopped answering.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember him asking who was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he ask about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to narrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI honestly don\u2019t remember exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked whether you were single.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the party?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA week? Couple days?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it didn\u2019t seem important. He said a friend might be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDererick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Shaw motioned for me to keep her talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Julian show you a picture of Dererick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he show Dererick a picture of me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he already know what I looked like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa, did you give Julian my phone number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmail?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere I worked?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knew. You were doing our agency\u2019s campaign then.\u201d<\/p>\n
That meant information about me was easy to find.<\/p>\n
Public portfolio.<\/p>\n
Business profile.<\/p>\n
Conference appearances.<\/p>\n
Social media.<\/p>\n
I swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Julian ever mention Bellweather?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas Vale?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA17?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa\u2019s concern sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna, what is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t explain everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Shaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa\u2019s breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of Dererick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Julian ever contact you after the party?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa sounded frightened now.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked whether you and Dererick were still seeing each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow soon after?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe a month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you seemed happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hurt.<\/p>\n
I had been happy.<\/p>\n
Or believed I was.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Julian?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is he now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCalifornia, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you last speak?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYears ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have his number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOld one maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw motioned again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend everything you have to Detective Lena Shaw.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re with police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Julian ever tell you why Dererick was interested in me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything strange at all?\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heartbeat increased.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Dererick had already seen your work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t strange.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But he said he\u2019d been impressed with you for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed he meant your portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he didn\u2019t say portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thanked her and ended the call.<\/p>\n
No one spoke for several seconds.<\/p>\n
Elaine Mercer.<\/p>\n
Julian Mercer.<\/p>\n
Dererick.<\/p>\n
A supposedly accidental meeting.<\/p>\n
It no longer looked accidental.<\/p>\n
Shaw was already requesting records on Julian.<\/p>\n
Clare sat very still.<\/p>\n
\u201cElaine\u2019s brother arranged the introduction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Elaine works with Northstar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she was there from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw said, \u201cPotentially.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat word again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still need evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have six years of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough pieces to see the picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to see that the picture is larger than Dererick.\u201d<\/p>\n
That quieted me.<\/p>\n
Because she was right.<\/p>\n
I had spent the entire morning treating my husband as the center.<\/p>\n
Maybe he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Maybe he was a handler.<\/p>\n
A recruiter.<\/p>\n
A person assigned to create a relationship that looked natural.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if Dererick was selected too?\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw\u2019s attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf A17 identified me first, then maybe they needed someone to get close.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA spouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone patient enough to spend years building access.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea was monstrous because it transformed ordinary time into operational time.<\/p>\n
Dating.<\/p>\n
Engagement.<\/p>\n
Marriage.<\/p>\n
Shared mortgage.<\/p>\n
Tea.<\/p>\n
Was Dererick pretending for years?<\/p>\n
Or had parts of it been real?<\/p>\n
I hated myself for still wondering.<\/p>\n
Shaw\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
Price.<\/p>\n
She listened.<\/p>\n
Then looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found your conference box.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBadge. Programs. Business cards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDererick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot by that name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cElaine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw listened again.<\/p>\n
Then her expression shifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She put the call on speaker.<\/p>\n
Price\u2019s voice filled the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a card tucked inside the hospital-branding program.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat card?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical systems consultant. Name: David Rainer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNever heard of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhoto on archived licensing profile matches Dererick.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
I stared at Shaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used another name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSix years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I met him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two years before the rooftop party.<\/p>\n
The memory returned more clearly now.<\/p>\n
The man near refreshments.<\/p>\n
Dark hair.<\/p>\n
Polite questions.<\/p>\n
A small joke about hospital signs being impossible to follow.<\/p>\n
I had laughed.<\/p>\n
Then forgotten him.<\/p>\n
He had not forgotten me.<\/p>\n
Price continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s handwriting on the back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA phone number and three words.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRead them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat talking, Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin crawled.<\/p>\n
I remembered throwing dozens of cards into the conference box without thinking.<\/p>\n
Dererick had entered my life once under a false name.<\/p>\n
Then returned two years later as if we were strangers.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you fingerprint it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll process it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA handwritten note in your program.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat note?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like your writing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew before he read it.<\/p>\n
\u201cCute guy from medical panel. David?\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
The room tilted.<\/p>\n
I had noticed him.<\/p>\n
That was why the manipulation worked later.<\/p>\n
When Dererick appeared at the rooftop party, perhaps some subconscious familiarity had made him feel immediately comfortable.<\/p>\n
Safe.<\/p>\n
Known.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he look like then?\u201d Shaw asked.<\/p>\n
I sat slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike my future husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hated the sentence as soon as I said it.<\/p>\n
Shaw stepped away to coordinate with Price.<\/p>\n
My mind replayed the first official meeting.<\/p>\n
Dererick standing beside Julian on Marissa\u2019s rooftop.<\/p>\n
Music too loud.<\/p>\n
City lights.<\/p>\n
He asked what I did for work.<\/p>\n
I remember teasing him for pretending not to understand branding.<\/p>\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n
Had he remembered the hospital conference while looking straight at me?<\/p>\n
Had he enjoyed the joke?<\/p>\n
Or was he following instructions?<\/p>\n
Clare whispered, \u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t have known.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
I needed facts, not forgiveness for trusting someone I had been deliberately trained to trust.<\/p>\n
Shaw returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian Mercer has a current address.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCalifornia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty-five miles from here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa\u2019s information was years out of date.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan police go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Julian work for Bellweather?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn paper, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is an attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCorporate compliance and risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare gave a humorless laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw did not smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis firm represented Bellweather during two property acquisitions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rehabilitation center.<\/p>\n
The cabin.<\/p>\n
Elaine\u2019s brother had not merely introduced Dererick to me.<\/p>\n
He had helped construct the legal shell around the places used to control victims.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he A17?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
A message reached Shaw.<\/p>\n
Officers were at Julian\u2019s address.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
Vehicle in driveway.<\/p>\n
Lights on.<\/p>\n
They were seeking entry authority.<\/p>\n
Then another message.<\/p>\n
Someone had been seen moving inside.<\/p>\n
Shaw stood.<\/p>\n
I watched her gather her things.<\/p>\n
\u201cLena.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Julian arranged my marriage\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe arranged the introduction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he knew Dererick before the conference\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if he did, then A17 might not be a customer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA planner.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cA17 chose candidates. Maybe the people paying for photographs came later. Maybe A17 designed the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw\u2019s expression sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you think that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause six years is too long for a customer purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clare nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone wanted access to me now, why photograph me six years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw stayed quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless they weren\u2019t buying me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were they doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words chilled even me.<\/p>\n
A young designer observed at a conference.<\/p>\n
A false introduction.<\/p>\n
A later real introduction.<\/p>\n
Marriage.<\/p>\n
Isolation through trust.<\/p>\n
Gradual drug conditioning.<\/p>\n
A disappearance plan tailored to my habits.<\/p>\n
That was not a transaction.<\/p>\n
It was cultivation.<\/p>\n
Shaw\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
She answered.<\/p>\n
Her face changed almost immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not respond until the call ended.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficers entered Julian Mercer\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did they find?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOffice computers wiped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA wall safe open.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmpty?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne file remained.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat file?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw held my gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour name is on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew the conference center immediately. The photograph showed me standing beside a glass entrance beneath a banner for the Midwestern Design Collaborative\u2019s annual conference. I was twenty-eight, thinner in … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13677,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13653\/revisions\/13677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}