He nodded.
She continued.
“Security footage shows Martin Vale entering Sophie's condo at 4:12 a.m. with Caroline and Jake. Eleven minutes later, he went over the balcony.”
“Was he pushed?”
“We don't know.”
Sophie hugged herself.
Maya continued.
“Before he fell, the building's hallway camera recorded an argument.”
“About what?”
“We only have partial audio.”
She played it.
Static.
Footsteps.
Then Caroline's voice.
“You said it would be there.”
A man's voice answered.
“It has to be.”
Jake shouted, “She didn't sign anything. We need to leave.”
Then Caroline again.
“You don't understand. The deed was never the prize.”
The recording ended.
Every hair on my arms rose.
Sophie looked at her father.
“What were they looking for?”
Alex didn't answer.
Then I remembered something.
A detail from years earlier.
When Alex bought the condo, he had renovated it himself.
Not with contractors.
With his own men.
For nearly two months, nobody had been allowed inside.
