She looked past me, her eyes landing on Chloe.

“Can I come in?” she asked. “It’s freezing out here, and we don’t have much time.”

I hesitated, then stepped aside and let her pass.

The cold draft followed her inside, smelling of damp asphalt and car exhaust.

I clicked the door shut and locked it again.

Melanie stood in the middle of the small room, looking at the two queen beds and our open suitcases.

“You’re his wife,” Melanie said, looking at me.

“I am,” I said. “And this is my sister, Chloe.”

Melanie gave Chloe a brief, hard nod, then turned her attention back to me.

“He ruined my career,” Melanie said, her voice trembling slightly before she regained her composure. “He used my credentials to sign off on three separate land acquisitions in Boulder.”

“We know,” I said, pointing to the laptop on the desk. “We have the escrow files. We have the digital signatures.”

Melanie took a step toward the desk, her boots squeaking on the linoleum.

“Then you know he’s trying to clear out the accounts before the audit on Monday,” she said.