Page 66 of Scarred By Sin

Dr. Kessler and one of her technicians stood near one of their vans at the edge of the gravel drive. Kessler had her arms crossed, her respirator hanging loose around her neck, and the technician beside her had stopped mid-step with an equipment case in hand.

Neither of them moved.

They observed the deputies guide Gwenyth into the patrol car, and Brook suspected that Kessler was only now realizing that the case her team had been excavating for a week had just resolved itself on the front steps of the house.

Hiding in plain sight.

Brook repeated the words in her mind and realized that Jacob had been doing the same thing. Her whole life, her brother had been hiding behind a mask that their parents couldn’t see, and the world refused to examine. He’d walked through their home, their family, their mother’s desperate love, and he’d done it with the same patient, disciplined cruelty that Gwenyth had demonstrated for thirty years.

The only difference was scale.

Gwenyth had confined her performance to a single estate, while Jacob had chosen a larger landscape.

Hiding in plain sight.

“Bit, I need you to access some security footage for me. I know Jacob’s location.”

29

Brooklyn Sloane

August 2026

Tuesday — 4:19 pm

The lobby of Brook’s building carried the familiar scent of polished marble and the faint trace of cleaning solution used by the maintenance staff. The air conditioning was a relief after the August heat, and she adjusted the strap of her bag as she crossed the lobby. She hated the waddling gait, unaccustomed to how convincingly awkward the extra weight made every step.

Charlie was behind the front desk, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, a newspaper spread across the counter. He glanced up and broke into the same broad grin he’d been giving her since the day she’d moved in.

“Ms. Sloane. How are you feeling today?”

“Like I’m carrying a bowling ball, Charlie.”

He laughed and folded the newspaper. It didn’t take long for his grin to fade.

“I thought the movers were arriving tomorrow. Please tell me that everything is still on schedule.”

“Still on schedule. The baby’s due date is next week, so as long as my water doesn’t break, I’ll be here.”

“Good, because Lou already put up the decorations. The breakroom has streamers everywhere, though don’t you tell him I told you.” Charlie pointed a finger at her with mock seriousness. “Mrs. Delgado in 4B has been assigned to creating the games, and I’m under strict orders not to say another word.”

Brook smiled, doing her best to keep the exchange casual. She made sure to appear unhurried, the way she always did when greeting Charlie. The earpiece in her right ear was nearly invisible, tucked beneath the fall of her hair, and the voices on the other end were quiet but present.

Graham.

Bit.

Theo.

Sylvie.

All of them were listening to her side of the conversation.

“I meant to ask,” Brook said, shifting her bag to the other shoulder. “That virus that was making the rounds a few weeks ago. Has it finally worked its way through the building?”

“Just about.” Charlie pulled his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Everyone’s back on their feet except Colin. He still hasn’t gone back to work.”

“We don’t know if he can hear you, Brook.” Graham’s deep voice came through low and clear in her ear. “Tread carefully.”