Chapter 1 - GET ME EVERY NAME
Victor Romano noticed the bicycle before he noticed the girl.
It was pink once.
Now most of the paint had been scratched away, the front basket bent sideways, one pedal held together with silver tape.
The rain made everything look grayer than it was.
Victor had just stepped out of a black SUV in front of a small neighborhood grocery store outside Pittsburgh when the little girl came running toward him, dragging the bicycle through water that reached over the tops of her sneakers.
She could not have been older than seven.
Her blonde hair was plastered to her face.
Her coat was too thin.
Her hands were red from cold.
“Sir!”
Victor stopped.
His security driver reached for the door.
Victor lifted one hand.
The girl shoved the bicycle toward him.
“PLEASE BUY IT!”
Her voice cracked.
Victor stared.
“What?”
She started crying harder.
“Please!”
He looked around.
No parent.
No other adult rushing after her.
Just rain.
“What’s your name?”
“Emily.”
“Emily, where is your family?”
She wiped her face with one sleeve.
“Home.”
“Why are you trying to sell me your bike?”
She looked down.
Then screamed the answer like she was afraid he would walk away before hearing it.
“MY MOMMY HASN’T EATEN!”
Victor went completely still.
He crouched.
The knees of his suit touched wet pavement.
“You’re selling your bike for food?”
Emily nodded through tears.
“They took everything…”
“Who?”
“The men.”
Victor’s expression changed.
“What men?”
“The ones with the truck.”
She reached into the bicycle basket and pulled out a crumpled yellow paper.
Victor took it.
COLLECTION NOTICE.
Briar Recovery Services.
Balance due: $4,870.
He knew the name.
Not personally.
But enough.
Briar was a regional collection contractor used by lenders, rental companies, medical creditors, and several consumer-finance firms.
Victor owned a private investment company.
One of his funds held debt portfolios.
Briar had appeared in reports.
He had never looked closely.
Until now.
“Where do you live?”
Emily pointed two blocks away.
Victor stood.
“Show me.”
His driver said:
“Sir, your meeting—”
“Cancel it.”
Emily pushed the bicycle.
Victor took the handlebars from her.
“You walk.”
She blinked.
“I can push it.”
“I know.”
He pushed it anyway.
The house was worse than he expected.
Small.
Peeling siding.
Porch railing broken.
The front door did not latch properly.
Inside, the living room looked as if someone had moved out in a hurry.
Except no one had.
There was no television.
No sofa.
No kitchen table.
Empty shelves.
A refrigerator hummed in a corner.
Victor opened it.
Almost nothing.
Two bottles of water.
Half a jar of peanut butter.
One orange.
Emily ran down the hallway.
“Mommy!”
Victor followed.
A woman lay in bed under two blankets.
Thirty-two, perhaps.
Far too thin.
Her face was pale.
Emily climbed beside her.
“Mommy! I found help!”
The woman opened her eyes.
Panic came first.
Then embarrassment.
“Emily…”
Victor stopped at the bedroom doorway.
“I’m Victor Romano.”
The woman tried to sit up.
“Sarah.”
“Please don’t get up.”
She ignored him and tried anyway.
Failed.
Victor looked around the room.
No dresser.
No bedside lamp.
No heater except a cheap space unit.
The closet stood open.
Almost empty.
“What happened?”
Sarah looked at Emily.
Then at Victor.
“A collection company.”
“For what debt?”
“My husband’s truck loan.”
Victor frowned.
“Your husband?”
“He died eight months ago.”
The room went quiet.
Sarah continued.
“The loan company said I wasn’t responsible because the truck was in his name. Then Briar started calling.”
“What did they take?”
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“Everything they could lift.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“The truck?”
“Yes.”
“That’s collateral.”
“I know.”
“What else?”
“Television. Furniture. My laptop. Emily’s tablet. Kitchen appliances. My wedding ring.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“They took your wedding ring?”
“They said they could seize household property until the account was settled.”
“That’s not how secured repossession works.”
Sarah looked at him.
“I told them.”
His phone rang.
Victor answered.
His assistant, Daniel Price.
“Sir, I looked up Briar like you asked.”
Victor glanced at Sarah.
Daniel continued.
“That collection company has dozens of complaints.”
Victor went completely still.
“What kind?”
“Illegal property seizure. Threatening consumers. Fake court language. Taking assets that weren’t collateral.”
Emily looked up at him.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Some complaints say they were entering homes without valid orders.”
Victor’s expression went cold.
He slowly lifted Emily into his arms.
She wrapped both arms around his neck.
He looked at the nearly empty room.
Then at Sarah.
“They stole from your family?”
Emily nodded against his shoulder.
May you like
Victor turned toward the door.
“Get me every name.”
