At 7:12 the next morning, Maya’s phone rang.

She answered without looking.

“Bennett Veterinary Clinic.”

“It’s Niko.”

She sat upright.

“You have my private number?”

“You gave it to the clinic.”

“For emergencies involving Luna.”

“This involves Luna.”

Maya checked the clock.

“She better be on fire.”

“She brought me another collar.”

Maya froze.

“What?”

“Come downstairs.”

She walked to the window.

A black SUV waited outside.

“Niko.”

“Maya.”

“You cannot summon veterinarians like takeout.”

“I brought coffee.”

She looked at the cup in her hand.

Empty.

“What kind?”

“Vanilla latte.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“How did you know?”

“Your receptionist.”

“Traitor.”

Twenty minutes later, Maya sat across from Niko in the SUV.

A second collar lay between them.

Cheap nylon.

Blue.

“This isn’t Luna’s,” Maya said.

“No.”

“Where did she find it?”

“My bedroom.”

Maya looked at him.

“Your bedroom?”

“Under the dresser.”

“And you’ve never seen it?”

“No.”

Maya examined it.

There was no tracker.

But beneath the buckle was a tiny plastic capsule.

Marco handed her gloves.

She opened it carefully.

Inside was a rolled strip of paper.

Three numbers were written on it.

4-17-9.

Marco frowned.

“Code?”

Niko shook his head.

“Storage sections.”

“At the service building?”

“Yes.”

They returned to the estate.

Section four.

Shelf seventeen.

Box nine.

Marco pulled down a sealed carton.

Inside were accounting records.

He scanned them.

Then stopped.

“These aren’t forged approvals.”

Niko took the pages.

“They’re originals.”

Maya watched his face.

“What does that mean?”

“Someone has been diverting money through estate vendors.”

“How much?”

Marco looked grim.

“Millions.”

Niko turned several pages.

Then his expression changed.

“What?”

Marco leaned closer.

A name appeared repeatedly.

Victor Hale.

Maya exhaled.

“So it was him.”

“No.”

Niko pointed at the dates.

“Victor was in Italy during three of these approvals.”

Marco understood.

“Someone used his name.”

Maya remembered Victor’s reaction to Luna.

“Then why is Luna afraid of him?”

Niko’s jaw tightened.

“Good question.”

A voice came from the doorway.

“Because I tried to catch her.”

Victor stood there.

Marco moved instantly between him and Niko.

Victor raised both hands.

“I’m not here to cause trouble.”

Niko stared at him.

“Explain.”

Victor looked exhausted.

“Three weeks ago, I realized someone was using my credentials. I began copying records.”

“You hid them here?”

“Yes.”

“The tracker?”

“Not mine.”

“The collar?”

Victor looked at Luna.

“I used her.”

Maya’s expression hardened.

“You put messages on a cat?”

“I needed to move information without whoever was watching the estate cameras noticing.”

“You frightened her.”

“I tried to remove a capsule from her collar. She scratched me. After that, she ran whenever she saw me.”

Maya folded her arms.

“That was your brilliant plan?”

“No.”

Victor sighed.

“It was my desperate one.”

Niko stepped closer.

“Who were you hiding the records from?”

Victor looked toward Marco.

Marco’s expression sharpened.

Then Victor said:

“Not him.”

“Who?”

Victor hesitated.

“The person handling security system maintenance.”

Marco went still.

“Evan Cole.”

Niko knew the name.

Evan had worked with Bellini security for six years.

Victor nodded.

“He controls camera access. Delivery logs. Gate records.”

Marco swore.

Niko pulled out his phone.

Victor stopped him.

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because if Evan realizes you know, he’ll erase everything.”

Maya looked around the room.

“What does he think happened to the records?”

Victor looked at Luna.

“He thinks the cat lost them.”

Maya stared at the fluffy white animal.

Luna sat calmly licking her pink bandage.

Niko looked at Maya.

Maya looked back.

“No.”

“I didn’t ask anything.”

“You’re about to.”

“We need Luna.”

“No.”

“She’s already involved.”

“She is a patient.”

“Maya—”

“No.”

Niko studied her for several seconds.

Then nodded.

“Fine.”

Victor looked surprised.

Marco looked even more surprised.

Maya picked up Luna.

“Thank you.”

Niko’s gaze softened slightly.

“You were right the first time.”

“About?”

“She has opinions.”

Luna purred.

Niko added:

“And apparently so does her veterinarian.”

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