Chapter 7 - The Woman Before Victoria
Victoria asked for an attorney at 2:06 a.m.
It was the first smart thing she had done all night.
Until then, she had treated the truth like a servant she could dismiss.
Now she sat in the library with a lawyer on speakerphone and refused to answer questions.
Marcus stood outside the glass doors, watching her.
Elena approached slowly.
Her cheek had swollen badly. A paramedic had taped two fingers where she had cut them on the pool edge.
"Leo?" she asked.
"Stable. The hospital says his oxygen is good. They're keeping him overnight."
She closed her eyes with relief.
"Thank God."
Marcus looked at her face.
"Elena, what I did—"
"Don't make this about your guilt yet."
The words landed cleanly.
He nodded.
"Okay."
"Make it about Leo."
"I am."
"Then ask why she needed me gone."
Marcus looked through the glass at Victoria.
"Because you had Amelia's folder."
"Maybe. But she didn't know I had it until tonight."
"Then why?"
Elena's answer was quiet.
"Because I knew her before you did."
Marcus turned.
"What?"
"Not personally. I saw her."
Elena explained that four years earlier, before Amelia's death, Victoria had visited the estate twice as a consultant for a luxury event company. She had met Grant in the service corridor both times.
Marcus remembered none of it.
"Amelia handled foundation events. I was barely home."
"I know."
"Why didn't you tell me when Victoria and I started dating?"
"I did."
Marcus went still.
"When?"
"The week you introduced her to the staff. I told Grant I needed five minutes with you. He said you were leaving for London. Then Victoria came into the kitchen and told me I'd probably confused her with someone else."
"And you accepted that?"
Elena looked at him like he had asked something foolish.
"You were happy for the first time after Amelia died. I had no proof. And every time I tried to get near you, Grant was there."
Marcus pressed his hands against the cold glass.
He had built a house with cameras everywhere and still managed not to see the people closest to him.
Rachel joined them carrying a printed photograph.
"We found this on Amelia's drive."
It showed a charity auction from four years ago.
Amelia stood near the stage.
Behind her, Grant spoke to a woman in a black dress.
Victoria.
The timestamp was six months before Amelia's death.
Marcus stared at it.
"Victoria told me she met Grant after we started dating."
Rachel handed him another image.
Grant and Victoria were entering the same hotel in Milwaukee.
Date: two days after the charity auction.
"Amelia had them followed," Rachel said.
Marcus's voice went flat.
"Why?"
"Because she thought Grant was stealing. She didn't know whether Victoria was helping him or being used by him."
Elena looked at the image.
"Amelia knew."
"She suspected."
A technician called Rachel from the dining room.
"We opened the second drive."
They hurried back.
On the screen was a video file labeled ONLY IF I DON'T COME HOME.
Marcus sat down hard.
Rachel clicked play.
May you like
Amelia appeared on screen, alive, tired, and looking directly into the camera.
"Marcus," she said, "if you're watching this, please don't trust the accident report."
