Chapter 4

The Vance family estate was a sprawling, gothic masterpiece perched on a cliffside overlooking the churning Pacific Ocean. Under normal circumstances, it was a sanctuary of wealth and refined taste. Today, it was a tomb.

The relentless Monterey rain beat against the towering stained-gla

Chapter 5

The offices of Croft, Sterling & Hale occupied the top three floors of a shimmering glass skyscraper in downtown San Francisco. It was a world of hushed voices, deep pile carpets, and panoramic views of the bay—a stark contrast to the churning storm that still battered the coast, and the

Chapter 6

The 12th Precinct of the San Francisco Police Department smelled distinctly of stale coffee, damp wool, and floor wax. It was a bleak, chaotic environment that buzzed with the cynical energy of overworked cops and underpaid clerks.

Clara Vance did not belong here.

Dressed in a tailore