A small sticker on the rear window.
Northstar Logistics.
Vale immediately called headquarters.
"Get me everything on Gregory Vane."
While waiting, he checked Nia's car.
He opened the trunk.
Nothing.
He checked beneath the spare tire.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a small compartment beneath the trunk lining.
Inside was a tracking device.
Vale stared at it.
Someone had planted a GPS tracker on the Lamborghini.
He called Price.
"Get here."
She arrived.
"What is it?"
"A tracker."
"Who planted it?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
They traced the device's serial number.
It led to a private security company.
That company had one major client.
Northstar Logistics.
Price stared at the screen.
"That's enough for a warrant."
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because whoever planted this tracker wanted us to find it."
Price frowned.
Vale continued.
"They're watching the police now."
"So what do we do?"
Vale looked at the evidence.
"We stop playing the game they designed."
Adrian Carter received a phone call at 2:16 p.m.
The caller claimed to be an attorney representing Northstar.
"We'd like to resolve this privately."
Adrian smiled.
"No."
"We're willing to compensate you."
"No."
"We can make the harassment stop."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"There it is."
Silence.
"You've admitted harassment."
The caller hung up.
Adrian immediately contacted Detective Vale.
"I think they're getting nervous."
"Good."
"Don't underestimate them."
"I don't."
"Then tell me what you found."
Vale hesitated.
"Someone planted a tracker on your Lamborghini."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"Where?"
"Inside the trunk."
"When?"
"Probably recently."
Adrian thought.
"Then they may believe I still have evidence in the car."
"Do you?"
"No."
A pause.
"Not anymore."
Vale understood.
"You moved it?"
"Three months ago."
"Where?"
"I'll tell you when I know who I can trust."
Vale accepted the answer.
That evening, Adrian deliberately drove the Lamborghini to a shopping district.
Nia remained at home.
A black SUV appeared behind him.
Then another.
Adrian continued driving.
He turned left.
The SUVs followed.
He turned again.
They followed.
Finally, Adrian pulled into a public parking garage.
The SUVs stopped outside.
But they didn't enter.
Adrian smiled.
He had confirmation.
He called Vale.
"They're following me."
"Can you identify them?"
"I can."
"Do you want backup?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I want them to believe they still have control."
Adrian parked.
Then he walked away through another exit.
The Lamborghini remained alone.
Twenty minutes later, two men entered the garage.
They approached the car.
One of them crouched near the driver's door.
The second watched the entrance.
Neither noticed the tiny camera Adrian had placed across the street.
The entire operation was recorded.
Gregory Vane sat in his office when police arrived.
Detective Vale entered with a warrant.
Vane looked annoyed.
"What's this about?"
"Vehicle tracking."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Vale placed photographs on the desk.
The black SUV.
The parking garage.
The tracker.
Then a photograph of Vane's employee entering the garage.
Vane's face remained calm.
But his hands tightened.
"You've made a mistake."
"Maybe."
Vale placed another document on the desk.
A financial transfer.
Northstar had paid a private contractor to install tracking devices on several vehicles.
Including Adrian Carter's.
Vane leaned back.
"Where did you get that?"
Vale smiled.
"You just confirmed it's real."
Vane realized his mistake.
He stood.
"I'm calling my attorney."
"You can."
Vane reached for his phone.
Vale stopped him.
"You're not under arrest."
Vane froze.
"Yet."
The room became silent.
Then Vane laughed.
"You think this is about a car?"
"No."
"You think Adrian Carter is your hero?"
"I don't know what he is."
Vane leaned forward.
"He destroyed a company."
"No. Your company destroyed itself."
Vane's smile disappeared.
Vale continued.
"Your employees stole equipment."
"Allegedly."
"Your people falsified shipping records."
"Allegedly."
"You planted tracking devices."
Silence.
"And you used police resources to investigate a sixteen-year-old girl."
Vane stared at him.
"I didn't know anything about the girl."
Vale placed one final photograph on the desk.
Nia.
Standing beside the Lamborghini.
Vane looked at it.
Then at Vale.
"I never told anyone to stop her."
"Maybe not."
Vale stood.
"But someone did."
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
"Mr. Vane."
"What?"
"Who inside your company knew about Adrian Carter's daughter?"
Vane said nothing.
That silence was the answer.
At 7:30 that evening, Detective Vale received a message.
A confidential file had disappeared from the evidence system.
The file contained information about Northstar.
Someone inside the police department had accessed it.
Vale checked the access logs.
The account belonged to Officer Daniel Rusk.
Vale stared at the screen.