Chapter 2 - The Brother Who Wasn't Supposed to Return
The darkness lasted four seconds.
Bridget counted every one.
On the fifth, emergency lights flashed red along the corridor.
Adrian had disappeared into the elevator.
The stranger remained.
His hand came out of his coat.
Not holding a gun.
A phone.
He turned the screen toward Bridget.
A photograph showed two men standing beside an old boxing gym.
One was the stranger.
The other was Dominique.
“You Bridget Collins?”
She backed toward the wall.
“Depends who’s asking.”
“Rafael Cruz.”
“Should that mean something to me?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Rafael almost smiled.
“Dominique sent for Gabriel?”
Bridget said nothing.
His expression hardened.
“If he said Saint Michael, he was sending you to me.”
Her heart jumped.
“You know what that means?”
“I know where his brother is.”
Bridget looked toward the elevator.
“Then get me out of here.”
They took the service stairs.
Rafael moved quickly, checking each landing before allowing Bridget through.
On the eighth floor, he stopped.
“What did you take?”
“How do you know I took anything?”
“Because Adrian Mercer doesn’t chase housekeepers through hospitals for stolen towels.”
Bridget hesitated.
Then removed the wrapped vial.
Rafael stared at the blue cap.
“What?”
“I’ve seen those.”
“Where?”
“In Dominique’s house.”
“When?”
“Months ago.”
Her stomach dropped.
“You knew?”
“I knew there were unmarked vials. I thought they were part of the treatment.”
“They’re not.”
“You’re sure?”
“I heard Vale say Dominique’s heart would stop by Friday.”
Rafael became very still.
“Exact words?”
“Yes.”
He took out his phone.
“No calls.”
“What?”
“They’ll trace everything. Turn yours off.”
“My mother—”
“If they threatened her, they’re counting on you calling.”
Bridget hated that he was right.
By the time they reached the underground parking garage, a black SUV was waiting.
Bridget stopped.
“No.”
Rafael looked back.
“No what?”
“I’m not getting into a strange vehicle with a strange man connected to a mafia family.”
“You worked for one.”
“I cleaned his bathrooms.”
“You just stole evidence from his doctor.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came.
Rafael unlocked the passenger door.
“We have eleven minutes before hospital security seals the garage.”
Bridget got in.
They drove without speaking.
She kept her handbag on her lap.
After several turns, Bridget realized they were heading away from her mother’s neighborhood.
“Where are we going?”
“Gabriel.”
“My mother first.”
“No.”
She turned on him.
“Stop the car.”
“Bridget—”
“Stop the damn car.”
Rafael pulled beneath an overpass.
Bridget opened the door.
“My mother is seventy years old.”
“She’s sixty-eight.”
Bridget froze.
Rafael raised both hands.
“Dominique had protection on your immediate family after the first month you started working in his home.”
“What?”
“He does it for permanent staff.”
“You’re telling me people have been watching my mother?”
“Watching for threats.”
“That is not better.”
“Tonight it is.”
Bridget stared at him.
“My mother is safe?”
“I checked before I came into the hospital.”
“Then let me speak to her.”
“After Gabriel.”
Bridget closed the door.
The boxing gym stood beneath an old church in Brooklyn.
A faded sign read SAINT MICHAEL ATHLETIC CLUB.
Inside, punching bags hung in a row.
A lone man stood in the ring.
He was younger than Dominique, though not by much.
Same dark eyes.
Same shoulders.
Same unnerving stillness.
Gabriel Costello looked at Rafael.
Then Bridget.
“Who is she?”
“The woman Dominique trusted.”
Bridget blinked.
“That’s generous.”
Rafael nodded at her bag.
“Show him.”
Bridget unwrapped the vial.
Gabriel stepped down from the ring.
The moment he saw the number, his face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“Dominique’s bathroom.”
Gabriel snatched it.
“Forty-seven.”
“You know what it means?”
He walked toward a desk.
“Batch number.”
“Of what?”
“Cardiac glycoside compound.”
Bridget stared.
“English.”
“Something that can mimic heart failure if administered carefully.”
Her knees felt weak.
“You knew about this?”
“No.”
“But you recognized it.”
Gabriel looked at Rafael.
“Because someone used batch forty-two on my father.”
The gym went silent.
Bridget felt the story opening beneath her feet.
“How did your father die?”
“Heart attack.”
She understood immediately.
“Except you don’t believe that.”
“I didn’t.”
“Dominique did?”
“He told me to stop digging.”
“Why?”
“Because five people connected to our family died within eight months. Father. Two accountants. A driver. A doctor.”
Bridget stared at the vial.
“What happened to the person investigating?”
Gabriel smiled without humor.
“Me.”
Rafael leaned against the desk.
“Tell her.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“Dominique thought I was becoming paranoid. We fought. I accused half his inner circle. He told me I was creating enemies faster than he could contain them.”
“So you left?”
“He ordered me out.”
That did not sound like the Dominique Bridget knew.
“Or he wanted you away from whoever was doing this.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Why would you think that?”
“Because when a dying man has seconds to tell somebody who to trust, he doesn’t usually choose the brother he hates.”
Gabriel said nothing.
Rafael broke the silence.
“We need to move.”
“Where?”
“Dominique.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“They’ll expect me.”
Bridget looked toward the church stairs.
“They won’t expect me.”
Rafael laughed once.
“Lady, they already threatened your mother.”
“Exactly.”
Gabriel frowned.
“What are you thinking?”
“They think I’m scared.”
“You are scared.”
“Yes. I’m just not useless.”
For the first time, Gabriel looked at her with something other than suspicion.
Bridget continued.
“If I return the vial, they’ll relax.”
“We are not giving them the evidence.”
“We give them a vial.”
Rafael understood first.
“A fake.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“Vale will know.”
“Eventually.”
Bridget looked at the blue cap.
“Not immediately.”
An hour later, Bridget returned to the hospital.
Alone.
Or apparently alone.
She entered through the main lobby wearing her housekeeping uniform again.
Adrian was waiting.
“You came back.”
Bridget placed a small wrapped object in his palm.
“I don’t want trouble.”
He studied her.
“That would have been wise several hours ago.”
“My mother has nothing to do with this.”
Adrian smiled.
“Then perhaps you should remember that.”
He opened the cloth.
Blue cap.
Clear vial.
The replica Rafael had assembled from medical supplies looked convincing enough.
Adrian relaxed.
“Good choice.”
Bridget lowered her eyes.
“I want my job.”
“Of course.”
He put a hand on her shoulder.
She had to force herself not to recoil.
“You were always one of Dominique’s favorites.”
“He was nice to me.”
“That was his weakness.”
Something about the sentence disturbed her.
Not because it was cruel.
Because Adrian sounded personal.
As if Dominique’s kindness offended him.
Bridget returned to the private suite.
Dominique looked worse.
His lips were almost colorless.
His breathing came in uneven pulls.
Dr. Vale stood beside the bed.
“You’re back.”
“I made a mistake.”
“Yes.”
“I panicked.”
“So I heard.”
He watched her.
Bridget walked to the linen cabinet.
“Do you need anything?”
“No.”
She began replacing towels.
In the reflection of the glass window, she saw Vale reach for Dominique’s IV.
A syringe appeared.
Bridget turned.
“Doctor?”
Vale stopped.
“What now?”
“There’s blood in the bathroom.”
His irritation showed.
“What?”
“I think one of the nurses cut herself.”
Vale glanced toward the open door.
Bridget continued.
“It’s on the counter.”
He set the syringe down.
“Show me.”
Bridget entered the bathroom first.
Vale followed.
She pointed toward the sink.
“There.”
He leaned forward.
Nothing.
Vale turned.
Bridget slammed the door.
Before he could react, Rafael stepped from behind the shower partition.
Vale’s eyes widened.
Rafael seized him.
Bridget locked the door.
“Where is Dominique’s antidote?”
Vale laughed.
“You’re making a catastrophic mistake.”
Rafael shoved him against the wall.
“What have you been giving him?”
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
Bridget stepped closer.
“I heard you.”
Vale looked at her.
“Then you should have walked away.”
“Where’s the antidote?”
“There isn’t one.”
Rafael tightened his grip.
Vale winced.
“Stop.”
“Talk.”
“The damage is cumulative. Remove the compound and he may stabilize.”
“May?”
“His heart is already compromised.”
Bridget felt sick.
“How long does he have?”
Vale looked at the locked door.
Then at Bridget.
“If he receives another full dose?”
“Yes.”
“Hours.”
A knock struck the bathroom door.
“Doctor?”
Adrian.
Everyone froze.
Vale smiled.
Bridget whispered, “Don’t.”
Vale raised his voice.
“Adrian—”
Rafael covered his mouth.
The handle turned.
Locked.
Another knock.
“Marcus?”
Rafael looked toward the window.
Thirty floors above the city.
No exit.
Adrian knocked again.
Then his voice changed.
Cold.
Certain.
“I know Gabriel is in the building.”
Bridget looked at Rafael.
He looked at the ceiling.
Above them came the heavy sound of footsteps.
Many footsteps.
May you like
The bathroom lights went dark.
And from Dominique’s bedroom, a woman screamed.
