Chapter 3
1416 Words
Chloe exited the stairwell into the lower administrative wing.
The corridor here was wider and quieter. Fewer offices and more storage rooms. The lighting was harsher, fluorescent panels set deep into the ceiling. Her footsteps sounded sharper against the tiled floor.
She passed two officers she did not really recognise. Both glanced at her badge, then looked away.
Her temporary workspace was a glass-walled office at the end of the corridor, assigned to visiting investigators.
Inside, a desk, a chair, a secure terminal, and a narrow cabinet bolted to the wall. No personal effects. No decorations. The glass walls were frosted halfway up, clear above that.
Chloe unlocked the door and stepped inside.
She placed her bag on the desk, removed her notebook, and set it to one side. She took off her blazer and hung it on the back of the chair, then rolled her sleeves up to her elbows. The watch on her wrist caught the light briefly before she turned it inward.
She logged into the terminal.
The system took longer than usual to load. She waited without moving, hands resting flat on the desk. When the desktop finally appeared, a notification icon pulsed in the corner of the screen.
ARCHIVE ACCESS — ACTIVE
She clicked it.
A directory opened, already populated.
Seventeen folders.
Chloe exhaled once through her nose.
She opened the first.
Monaco_2022_Belvedere
The interface was familiar: scanned reports, internal memos, security schematics and interview transcripts. She adjusted the screen brightness and began at the top, reading line by line.
She did not skim.
The Belvedere Diamond Collection. Removed overnight. No alarms triggered. No forced entry. Discovery logged at 06:18 local time.
She scrolled.
Security firm: Aegis Continental.
She paused.
She opened the security appendix and read the names of the reviewing consultants. Three names. One firm.
She copied the firm’s name into her notebook.
She moved on.
Singapore_2022_Tang_Sculptures
Different jurisdiction. Different museum. Different firm.
Security firm: Meridian Global Services.
Chloe noted it.
She opened the renovation schedule. Contractors. Subcontractors. Temporary access badges issued.
She scanned for anomalies. There were none that had been flagged.
She checked the timeline.
Discovery logged at 07:42.
She wrote the time down.
She moved to the next file.
NewYork_2022_PrivateCollection
The file was heavier. More correspondence and more lawyers.
Security firm: Aegis Continental.
Chloe stopped scrolling.
She opened the firm’s profile.
Aegis Continental. International. Offices in London, Zurich, New York. Specialised in high-net-worth clients. Discreet.
She wrote the name again, this time underlining it.
She continued.
The paintings had been removed during a charity gala. Security footage reviewed. No irregularities noted.
Chloe watched the footage herself.
Guests in formal wear. Staff moving through the rooms with trays. Security posted at visible points.
She rewound and slowed the footage.
Nothing obvious.
She did not expect there to be.
She closed the video and returned to the report.
No suspects identified. Case closed pending new information.
She moved on.
By midday, she had reviewed six files.
Her eyes felt dry. She blinked slowly and stood, stretching her shoulders and legs. She crossed over to the small window at the end of the corridor and looked out over the city.
The day had brightened. Sunlight reflected off glass and steel. Summer, already pressing in.
Her phone vibrated.
It was the Records Office
She answered.
“Martinez.”
“Digital access is complete,” the woman said. “Physical files will be delivered to your office shortly.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said.
“And—” the woman hesitated. “I’ve started compiling the index you requested.”
“Good,” Chloe said. “Send it as it comes.”
She ended the call and returned to the desk.
The next file opened slowly.
Dubai_2024_Gemstones
She read this one more carefully than the others.
The vault. The bonded facility. The access protocols.
Security firm: Meridian Global Services.
She wrote it down again.
Meridian...Aegis.
She checked the dates.
The security audits had been conducted within three months of each theft. In each case, the audits reported full compliance.
She opened the audit reports.
Standard language. Clean formatting. No recommendations beyond routine updates.
She scrolled to the signatures.
Different auditors. Same firms.
Chloe leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling.
She did not label it a pattern.
She stood, crossed the room, and unlocked the cabinet. Inside were printed copies of the files, stacked neatly, already waiting. Someone had been efficient she thought to herself.
She removed the first stack and laid it out on the desk.
She began again, this time physically.
Paper slowed her down. It forced her to see spacing, emphasis and omissions.
She noticed that in several reports, sections had been shortened. Paragraphs compressed and the language was standardised.
She placed those pages side by side.
The phrasing matched too closely to be coincidence.
She marked the margins with a pencil.
At 13:20, there was a knock at the door.
Chloe looked up.
A man stood outside the glass, holding a tray. He was in his mid-forties. Balding, with dark circles under his eyes. Catering badge clipped to his shirt.
“Lunch,” he said, holding up the tray.
“I didn’t order anything,” Chloe said.
“Deputy Director’s office,” he said. “For you.”
She opened the door.
The tray held a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water.
She took it and closed the door.
She did not sit down to eat. She took a bite standing with her eyes on the documents.
The apple went untouched.
She opened the next file.
Zurich_2020_PrivateVault
Free port. Private storage.
Security firm: Aegis Continental.
Chloe’s jaw tightened slightly.
She checked the audit date.
Six weeks before the theft.
She read the audit summary.
No vulnerabilities identified.
She turned the page.
Logistics firm: Helios Transport Solutions.
She paused and flipped back to the Singapore file.
Logistics firm: Helios Transport Solutions.
She wrote the name down.
She checked New York.
A different logistics provider.
She checked Monaco.
Helios Transport Solutions.
She drew a line between the names in her notebook.
She did not smile.
Her phone vibrated again.
It was the Records Office
“Yes,” Chloe said.
“I’ve sent the first index,” the woman said. “Consulting firms and logistics providers. You’ll see some repeats.”
“I see them,” Chloe said.
There was a pause.
“Should I continue?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Chloe said. “Include subcontractors.”
She ended the call and returned to the Zurich file.
She read the final page.
Case closed due to lack of evidence.
She placed the file aside and opened the last one.
Prague_2019_Manuscripts
Private collector. Historical documents.
Security firm: Meridian Global Services.
Logistics firm: Helios Transport Solutions.
Chloe set the file down slowly.
She looked at the desk. The papers. The names she had written.
Three firms.
Security and logistics were present near every theft.
Never flagged and never questioned.
She checked the times of discovery.
Early morning. Staff changeovers. Shift overlaps.
She wrote the times down in a column.
06:18
07:42
08:05
06:55
She leaned forward, elbows on the desk, hands clasped loosely.
She was not satisfied.
She was focused.
A knock sounded again.
This time, it was firmer.
She looked up.
Inspector Kovač stood outside the glass, hands in his pockets.
She opened the door.
“You’re buried already,” he said, glancing at the desk.
“I’m working,” Chloe said.
“You usually don’t take lunch deliveries,” he said.
“I didn’t,” she said.
He nodded.
“They’re asking questions upstairs,” he said. “About why you pulled full access.”
“Let them,” Chloe replied rather sharply.
Kovač studied the papers.
“You seeing something?” he asked.
“I’m seeing who’s not being looked at,” Chloe said.
He frowned.
“That’s dangerous,” he said.
“It’s necessary,” she replied.
He hesitated, then nodded.
“Keep me informed,” he said as he walked towards the door.
She closed the door after he left.
...
Chloe returned to her chair and opened a fresh page in her notebook.
She wrote three names.
Aegis Continental
Meridian Global Services
Helios Transport Solutions
She drew a box around them.
Then she wrote one word beneath.
Presence
She did not underline it.
Her screen pinged.
Another file uploaded.
Vienna_2021_JewelleryCollection
She opened it.
Security firm: Aegis Continental.
Chloe did not react.
She turned the page and kept reading.
- Writer
