Chapter 4 - THE WALL WASN'T A WALL
The building inspector arrived the next afternoon with city plans.
The corridor measurements did not match.
The rear wall was nine feet closer than it should have been.
Someone had built a false partition.
The city ordered it opened.
Victor objected.
His attorney arrived.
Too late.
Behind the wall was another corridor.
And three rooms.
No windows.
No legal ventilation.
One had a mattress on the floor.
Plastic water bottles.
Canned food.
A bucket.
A chain fixed to a steel eye bolt.
Caleb almost vomited.
The second room held tools.
Zip ties.
Gloves.
Disposable phones.
Cleaning supplies.
The third room was stranger.
Filing cabinets.
Tenant applications.
Photographs.
Copies of IDs.
Medical notes.
Employment records.
Victor’s building was collecting information on tenants.
Mara opened one folder.
LILY MONROE.
Inside were photos taken without her knowledge.
At class.
At a grocery store.
At a coffee shop.
Another folder:
CALEB HART.
His chest stopped.
His résumé.
Credit report.
Emergency contact.
Photographs of him entering work.
A copy of his apartment application.
He looked at Mara.
“They were watching me before I moved in.”
She nodded.
“Looks that way.”
Then another officer called from the hidden room.
“Detective?”
Everyone turned.
The officer held up a laptop.
May you like
On the screen was a live camera feed.
Caleb’s apartment.
