Chapter 23 - The Flash Drive
Rachel immediately stood.
"Turn off every light."
Without hesitation, Laura switched off the living room lamps.
Only the kitchen light remained, casting long shadows through the apartment.
Vanessa carefully looked through the narrow opening in the curtain.
"The SUV is still there."
"Anyone inside?"
"I can only see one silhouette."
Mark slowly reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.
Rachel immediately noticed.
"What are you doing?"
Instead of answering, he removed a tiny silver flash drive.
Laura recognized it immediately.
"It wasn't in the safe."
"No."
"I kept this one."
Emma frowned.
"What's on it?"
Mark stared at the device.
"My insurance."
Rachel held out her hand.
"Give it to me."
He didn't move.
"If I do..."
"...none of you can pretend this evening never happened."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"I stopped pretending months ago."
Mark looked at Laura.
"I should have trusted you."
She smiled sadly.
"That realization came very late."
He nodded.
"I know."
Slowly, he placed the flash drive into Rachel's hand.
She connected it to her laptop.
Several encrypted folders appeared.
Rachel frowned.
"They're password protected."
Mark quietly spoke.
"The password is Olivia's birthday."
Laura closed her eyes.
"You used our daughter as the password?"
"I never forgot it."
Rachel typed carefully.
The folders unlocked.
Everyone leaned closer.
There were spreadsheets.
Contracts.
Scanned passports.
Transfer records.
And one folder simply labeled:
BLACK LEDGER
Nobody opened it immediately.
The name alone filled the room with silence.
Rachel looked toward Mark.
"Last chance."
"What is it?"
Mark swallowed.
May you like
"My biggest mistake."
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