Mr. Bennett froze.
I could hear my own breathing.
I pressed one hand against the counter.
“His name was Ryan Morgan. He was twenty-four. He disappeared after telling me he had gotten involved with people he shouldn’t have trusted.”
Mr. Bennett’s face drained of color.
“He wore that locket every day.”
Silence.
“It was a gift from our mother before she died.”
Still silence.
“So don’t tell me I’m mistaken.”
He closed his eyes.
I moved closer.
“Who are you?”
His eyes opened again.
“You already know my name.”
“Christopher Bennett.”
“That’s right.”
“No.”
I pointed toward his chest.
“I know who Christopher Bennett is. Everybody in Chicago does. Billionaire real-estate investor. Hotels. Construction. Finance. But Ryan had that locket before Christopher Bennett’s name ever appeared in a newspaper.”