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from this afternoon isn’t the outburst of a stranger but the legacy and generosity of a truly upstanding, ethical, and memorable woman, Adele Brennan Tate, who was brilliant in business, charitable in life, and absolutely, positively who she said she was. I’d stake my life on that.”
    With those words Kelsey thanked everyone for coming. The members of the audience leaped to their feet and gave her a standing ovation. Yet, as convincing as she felt she’d been, she knew it wouldn’t count for much because none of the media people had even been in the room to hear her wrap things up.
    Now that the ceremony was finished and she was coming back down from the adrenaline rush of her closing words, she found herself feeling momentarily disoriented. What should she do next? Mingle with those who had stayed? Go out to the lobby and help handle the press? She was trying to decide when she heard her name being called, and she turned to see Lou standing off to the side of the stage, right where she had stood during Walter’s introduction.
    â€œCome on, kiddo,” Lou said, and that was all she needed to hear.
    With a final smile and a wave at her audience, Kelsey walked out the way she’d come in, giving Lou a quick embrace and then letting him lead her through the backstage shadows to the stairwell door. She thought they would be going upstairs or maybe outside, but instead he led her to the one door of the four she never, ever used, the one for the maintenance area.
    The door didn’t even have a keypad for entry, but instead just a regular knob and deadbolt that were always locked. At the moment, however, the door was propped slightly open by what looked like an Italian leather shoe. To her surprise, Lou pulled the door the rest of the way open and then slipped his foot into the shoe.
    â€œLou! Are those Testonis?”
    â€œBerlutis,” he replied. “Not the cheapest doorstop around, but it was all I could think of to do.”
    He gestured inside, and she moved forward up the narrow, grungy hallway that ran past the building’s HVAC system and maintenance supply area.
    â€œWhere are we going?”
    â€œThey need you in security, but this was the only way to get you there without going through the lobby.”
    They continued forward, finally coming to a stop in front of the door at the end of the hall. Lou reached across Kelsey to give it a sharp knock, and it immediately swung open to reveal the imposing figure of Ephraim Jones, head of security.
    â€œHey, Kelsey,” he said in his low rumble of a voice. “You okay?”
    â€œI’ve been better,” she replied with a wan smile.
    â€œI hear that.”
    Moving back, he swung the door open all the way and gestured for them to come inside. Kelsey stepped forward but then glanced back to see Lou hesitating in the hallway. For the second time today, someone she needed and trusted was about to stay behind at the worst possible moment.
    â€œOh, no you don’t. You’re coming with me,” Kelsey said to him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside.
    â€œI don’t work here anymore, remember?”
    â€œThat doesn’t matter right now, Lou. I need you.”
    He hesitated and then did as she asked. “I’m here for you, kiddo. You know that.”
    Together they followed Ephraim around the corner to the security office.Standing nearby was Walter, a security guard, and a woman named Carole from the public relations firm. At the far end of the room was the man who had disrupted the meeting, deep in conversation with the spiky-haired redhead who had also been part of the ruckus. The two of them were arguing in hushed whispers, and at the moment they were so focused on each other that they didn’t even seem to notice Kelsey had come into the room.
    Walter, however, greeted her with a hug and an apology, much to her surprise. “I’m sorry I abandoned you in there,” he said