Chapter 5
Mr. Davis moved with the frantic energy of a drowning man thrashing in shallow water, placing a manicured hand on Eleanor's immaculate white blazer while using his other arm to wave frantically toward the security desk across the lobby. Two guards in crisp gray uniforms immediately straightened up, their boots slapping against the polished floor as they began to close the distance between themselves and the slumped figure of Arthur Vance. "I'm calling the police," Davis announced, his voice regaining a thin veneer of authority as he glared down at the veteran. "Trespassing, harassment, disturbing the peace—we're pressing every charge the prosecutor will take." Eleanor didn't pull away from her husband's touch, but her shoulders stiffened beneath the fine wool of her jacket, and she didn't blink as the guards arrived, their thick hands reaching out to grab Arthur by his worn shoulders and haul him upright. Arthur didn't resist them; his knees wobbled slightly before he found his balance, his rheumy eyes never leaving Eleanor's face. The crumpled photograph remained clutched tightly in her right hand, her fingers curled around the charred edges as if she were afraid someone might reach out and steal the past right back from her. "Wait," Eleanor said, her voice cutting through the lobby with a sharpness that made even the advancing guards freeze in their tracks. Davis blinked, his mouth remaining half-open in mid-sentence. "Eleanor, darling, let security handle this scum. You shouldn't even be looking at that filthy thing." She ignored him completely, turning her head slowly to look at the regional director with an expression so cold and devoid of warmth that Davis physically recoiled. "Shut up, Marcus," she commanded quietly. The use of his first name—dropping the professional title entirely—sent a visible shudder through the younger man's frame. Arthur wiped a grimy hand across his forehead, leaving a smudge of soot across his skin, and let out a tired, rattling breath that smelled faintly of stale tobacco and municipal tap water.
