OLIVER
The safe remains locked.
The ring is gone.
Ucker removes the access panel and finds scratches around the mechanical override—marks hidden beneath the frame installed that morning.
“Someone used a manufacturer key, opened the safe, and erased the local record,” he says. “That requires physical access and knowledge of this model.”
My first instinct is to lock every door and move Anny before anyone explains the plan to her.
I turn toward her instead. “Where do you want to go?”
“The hotel my attorney selected. Maria comes with us if she wants.”
“I do,” Maria says from the doorway.
Ucker’s phone rings before we leave the study. He listens for less than a minute, then looks at us.
“Roberta’s attorney is requesting a formal meeting. Roberta wants protection and a recorded agreeme
