“So my mother left,” Iris murmured. “She left to protect you.”
Harper’s hands trembled. “Where is she.”
“I do not know,” Iris replied. “But she never stopped loving you.”
The next morning, sirens tore through the quiet of their street. Word spread quickly: Matthew Calloway had been arrested on charges of bribery, intimidation, and corporate fraud. An investigative journalist named Tessa Gray had exposed years of corruption. In the upheaval, an old missing person file resurfaced. Lillian Quinn.
At the police station, Harper and Iris sat beneath harsh fluorescent lighting while detectives asked question after question. Time stretched. Coffee went cold. Hidden truths emerged piece by piece. That evening, Iris collapsed from exhaustion and was admitted to the hospital for monitoring. Harper stood in the hallway, staring at a softly humming vending machine.
Her phone vibrated. “Ms. Quinn,” a familiar voice said. “It is Roland Pierce.”
“Chef.”
“I heard about everything,” he said. “There is something I need to tell you. I knew your mother.”
Harper pressed her back against the wall. “You knew her.”
“Yes. We worked together many years ago. The night before she vanished, she gave me something. She made me promise to give it to you when the time was right.”
“What is it.”
“Come to the restaurant before opening tomorrow.”
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