Chapter 5: Access Denied

Donata pressed the card against the reader again.

It beeped again.

"It's a glitch," Ruggero said. "Call security."

"It isn't a glitch," my lawyer said. "The license for this floor was withdrawn forty minutes ago."

The building manager came out of the elevator behind us, holding a tablet.

He didn't look at Ruggero. He looked at me.

"Ms. Bellandi, the executive floor cards are cancelled as you instructed. Yours still works."

I held mine to the reader.

The lock clicked.

The glass doors opened onto the executive floor, the long carpet and the walnut desks my father had chosen.

Through the glass wall of the big conference room I could see three buyers in dark suits.

They sat under the lights with untouched coffee.

Ruggero's laptop was open on the head of the table.

"This is my building," I said. "Under the license, the company used this floor. As of tonight, it doesn't."

"You can't do this in front of clients," Donata said.

"You did it in front of clients at dinner."

Staff had started to gather at the far end of the hall, holding folders and phones.

Ruggero stepped close to me and spoke through his teeth.

"You're embarrassing the family."

"I'm not the one who sent a paycheck in an envelope."

I turned to the building manager.

"Please have the executive desks and files moved to the second floor. The administration offices are already empty."

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