The Montclair Economic Forum had chosen one of the city's older conference halls for its evening reception.
The building itself had once been a theater decades earlier. Though it had long since been renovated for corporate events, traces of the original architecture remained. Tall columns framed the main room. The ceiling rose higher than most modern conference spaces, allowing sound to drift upward before settling again across the floor.
By the time Audrey arrived, the reception was already in progress.
Clusters of guests stood near the long tables along the edges of the hall. Glasses reflected the warm overhead lights. Quiet conversations unfolded between analysts, journalists, and executives who had spent most of the day attending panel discussions.
