Chapter 11
Chapter 11: The Canyon Road
The wail of approaching sirens cut through the polished tranquility of the Solmere lobby. Charlotte did not wait for the paramedics to bring a stretcher for her. She refused the ice packs offered by a frightened concierge, her focus entirely fixed on the flashing red and blue lights pulling into the circular driveway.
"Miller," Charlotte said, turning to the head of security. "Keep Graham in the manager's office. Post two guards at the door. If he tries to make a phone call, take his phone."
"Yes, Ms. Vale," Miller replied, his allegiance now firmly cemented.
Charlotte ran out through the sliding glass doors, the cool evening air hitting her bruised face. She intercepted the first police cruiser and the lead paramedic unit. "My Chief Engineer is trapped in a vehicle on the lower canyon switchback," she told them, her voice breathless but commanding. "He was run off the road by a black SUV. Follow me."
She rode in the front of the ambulance, her hands gripping the dashboard as the heavy vehicle navigated the winding, treacherous curves of the canyon. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Please be alive, Owen. Please.
They found the sedan crushed against the jagged granite wall of the cliff. The driver's side was caved in, the metal crumpled like discarded foil.
Paramedics rushed forward, prying the jammed door open with hydraulic tools. Charlotte stood behind the yellow tape, her breath hitching in her throat. After ten agonizing minutes, they pulled Owen Mercer from the wreckage. He was covered in blood, his left arm hanging at an unnatural angle, but his eyes were open.
Charlotte broke past the police line and dropped to her knees beside his stretcher.
"Charlotte," Owen coughed, wincing as the medics secured a neck brace. He reached out with his good hand, his fingers stained red.
"I'm here, Owen," she whispered, gripping his hand tightly. "I have the key. We secured the lobby."
May you like
A faint, strained smile cracked through his bloody lips. He pulled her closer, his voice barely a rasp over the noise of the radios. "Your mother's private safe... the code is your birthday... backwards. The real ledger... is inside."
"I've got it," Charlotte promised, tears finally spilling over her eyelashes. "I'll take it from here. You just rest."
