His voice sharpened.
“Get out of this room.”
My desperation exploded.
“My brother died seventeen years ago!”
The words
echoed through the bathroom.
Mr. Bennett froze.Home Swimming Pools, Saunas & Spas
I could hear my own breathing.
I pressed one hand against the counter.
“His name was Ryan Morgan. He was twenty-four. He disappeared after telling me he had gotten involved with people he shouldn’t have trusted.”
Mr. Bennett’s face drained of color.
“He wore that locket every day.”
Silence.
“It was a gift from our mother before she died.”Philanthropy consulting
Still silence.
“So don’t tell me I’m mistaken.”
He closed his eyes.
I moved closer.
“Who are you?”
His eyes opened again.
“You already know my name.”Support group access
“Christopher Bennett.”
“That’s right.”
“No.”
I pointed toward his chest.
“I know
who Christopher Bennett is. Everybody in Chicago does. Billionaire real-estate investor. Hotels. Construction. Finance. But Ryan had that locket before Christopher Bennett’s name ever appeared in a newspaper.”Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
His fingers curled around the pendant.
“Leave, Rachel.”
“What happened to my brother?”
His wheelchair suddenly
moved backward.
“Get out!”Beauty Services & Spas
The shout brought Mrs. Alvarez running.
She stopped in the doorway.
“Christopher?”
He pointed toward me.
“Take her home.”
Mrs. Alvarez looked between us.
“What happened?”Business News
“Now.”
I didn’t move.
“Rachel,” she said softly.
“Ask him about the necklace.”
Her expression changed.
That was all I needed to see.
She knew.Standardized & Admissions Tests
My stomach dropped.
“You know too.”
Mrs. Alvarez looked away.
“Oh my God.”
I backed toward the doorway.
“You both know.”
“Rachel,” she said.Language Resources
“Don’t.”
I held up my hand.
“If you knew my brother, if you knew anything about what happened to him—”
Christopher slammed his palm against the chair
control.
“Enough!”
I stared at him through tears.Gems & Jewelry
Then I picked up my coat.
“I need this job,” I said quietly. “More than you could possibly understand.”
His eyes met mine.
“But if that necklace came from my brother, I will find out how.”
I walked out.
Mrs. Alvarez followed me downstairs.Beauty Services & Spas
“Rachel.”
I kept walking.
“Please.”
I stopped near the front door.
She lowered her voice.
“You should go home tonight.”
“Was Ryan here?”Business News
She hesitated.
That hesitation answered everything.
My eyes filled.
