Contract Over: You're Free to Go novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Notary

Declan's POV

Alistair's hand was halfway up when Margot said, "Wait."

She did not say it loudly.

It was the voice she used on Archie when he was about to touch the stove.

Alistair's hand stopped.

"The transfer is dated the week I first went to my husband's shop," she said. "That afternoon I sat in a tattoo chair for three hours while he inked my wrist."

"Sentiment," Broderick said, "is not evidence."

"No. A stamp is." She turned to the board. "It says I signed that page on the fourteenth floor, in this building, at half past two, in front of Mr. Lund and a notary."

The oldest director put on his glasses and picked up the page.

"It does say that."

"At half past two I was in Baltimore's oldest tattoo shop with a needle in my arm," Margot said. "And so was a man across the street, taking pictures of the window."

I stood up.

I had not planned to.

"Timothy Brennan has had a camera over the shop door since 'ninety-six," I said. "It covers the sidewalk and the whole street. I asked him last night to pull that week."

I put Timothy's old phone on the table, next to mine.

It had taken him an hour to find the right clip.

I pressed the arrow.

The picture was grainy and grey, and the time ran in the corner.

2:31 p.m.

On the far sidewalk, outside the dry cleaner's, a man in a navy suit lifted his phone to the shop window and stood there for a full minute.

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