Chapter 2 - THE MAN MASON CALLED DAD
Daniel did not open the compartment.
He closed his hand around the watch instead.
“Lock the front door.”
Mason looked at him.
“What?”
“Now.”
A sales associate moved before Mason did.
The door clicked.
The man outside did not object.
He simply waited.
Helen drew Noah closer.
Daniel looked at Mason.
“You know him.”
“No.”
“You just went white.”
“I know a lot of people.”
The man tapped once against the glass.
Mason snapped:
“Don't let him in.”
That answered more than Daniel wanted.
Helen looked between them.
“Who is he?”
Mason turned away.
Daniel walked toward the entrance.
Mason caught his arm.
“Daniel.”
“Take your hand off me.”
Mason released him.
“You do not know what you're letting into this store.”
Daniel unlocked the door.
The man stepped inside.
Seventy, maybe slightly older.
Silver hair.
Dark wool coat.
One leather glove.
He looked first at Daniel.
Then the watch.
Then Helen.
His expression broke when he saw her.
“Helen Carter?”
Helen stared.
“Do I know you?”
“No.”
His eyes moved to Noah.
Then back to the watch.
“But I knew Arthur.”
Mason laughed without humor.
“Knew him.”
The older man turned toward him.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Mason said one word.
“Dad.”
Helen looked sharply at him.
Daniel did too.
The man's name came back to Daniel before anyone said it.
Samuel Reed.
Former cofounder of the company.
Former master watchmaker.
The man whose name still appeared in gold lettering on the storefront despite disappearing from every official company photograph after 2004.
Daniel had been seventeen when Samuel left.
The story he had grown up with was simple.
Samuel mishandled a major estate consignment.
A client piece disappeared.
A legal fight followed.
Samuel sold his interest.
Left New York.
Mason stayed with his mother.
End of story.
Samuel looked at his son.
“You still work here.”
Mason's jaw tightened.
“Some of us stayed.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“You told me not to open this.”
Samuel looked at the watch.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if Arthur brought it here, he finally did something I stopped expecting him to do.”
Helen stiffened.
“Arthur didn't bring it.”
Samuel looked up.
“He didn't?”
“He died four months ago.”
Samuel's face changed.
Mason looked away.
Daniel said:
“Helen found the watch.”
Samuel stared at her.
“Where?”
“In his safe.”
“Anything with it?”
“No.”
“Letter?”
“No.”
“Receipt?”
Helen hesitated.
Samuel caught it.
“What?”
“There was a repair envelope.”
“When?”
“Last winter.”
Samuel closed his eyes.
There.
Daniel asked:
“You repaired it.”
Samuel nodded.
Helen stared.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“You put that latch there?”
“Yes.”
Mason gave a short, bitter laugh.
“Of course.”
Daniel looked at the hidden panel.
“What did you put inside?”
Samuel did not answer.
“Samuel.”
“I didn't put it there for you to open in a showroom.”
“It's my name inside the watch.”
“That name was there before Arthur ever touched it.”
Daniel's grip tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Samuel looked at him.
“That watch was supposed to be yours.”
Silence.
Daniel glanced at the engraving.
“When?”
“Your eighteenth birthday.”
“I never got it.”
“I know.”
“Why did Arthur Carter have it?”
Samuel looked toward Mason.
Then Helen.
Then finally Daniel.
“Because the week before your birthday, a client necklace disappeared from this store.”
Mason's expression hardened.
Samuel continued.
“Your father needed someone responsible.”
Daniel stared.
May you like
Samuel looked directly at his own son.
“And Arthur Carter helped him choose me.”
