Chapter 7 - The Locked Hallway
Maria stared at the bracelet as if it were poisonous.
“That has never been in my room.”
Arthur believed her.
The problem was that belief was becoming the cheapest thing in the house.
Evidence cost more.
Reed photographed the scene and called a forensic technician.
“Don’t touch anything,” he said.
One of the guards checked the exterior camera feed.
“Sir, camera three went offline at nine twenty-two.”
“How?” Arthur asked.
“Manual disconnect.”
“From where?”
“The basement network panel.”
Arthur looked around.
Only four people had access to that room.
Him.
Maria.
Elena.
And Thomas Hale, the estate manager.
Thomas had worked for the Vance family for twelve years.
Arthur called him.
No answer.
Again.
Voicemail.
Maria’s face changed. “He left early yesterday.”
“Why?”
“He said Mrs. Vance told him to take two days off.”
Reed nodded slowly. “That’s convenient.”
Arthur went to the basement.
The network cabinet was open.
A single cable hung loose.
Next to it, on a utility shelf, sat a disposable phone.
Reed put on gloves and lifted it.
“One call in the log.”
“To who?”
Reed read the number.
Arthur recognized the area code but not the line.
Clara did.
“Laurent Corporate Services.”
Elena’s family office.
The forensic technician bagged the phone.
Upstairs, Evan appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Dad?”
Arthur looked up.
His son was holding a folded sheet of paper.
“What is it?”
“I found it in my backpack.”
Arthur climbed the stairs and took it.
The paper contained five sentences typed in large font.
MY DAD GETS ANGRY WHEN I ASK ABOUT MOM.
MARIA TELLS ME WHAT TO SAY.
I AM AFRAID TO BE ALONE WITH MY DAD.
ELENA MAKES ME FEEL SAFE.
I WANT TO LIVE WITH ELENA.
Arthur’s hands began to shake.
“Did you write this?”
“No.”
“Did anyone ask you to read it?”
Evan’s mouth tightened.
“Elena.”
“When?”
“Two days ago.”
“What did she say?”
“That we were making a surprise video for you.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
The edited study clip was not the only recording.
“She made me practice,” Evan whispered.
“How many times?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where?”
“In her dressing room.”
Arthur turned to Reed.
“Search warrant.”
Reed nodded. “I’ll call.”
Evan tugged Arthur’s sleeve.
“There’s something else.”
Arthur knelt.
“What?”
“Elena said if I did it right, she’d tell me what really happened to Mom.”
Arthur’s blood went cold.
“What did she say happened?”
Evan looked toward the hallway.
May you like
“She said Mom didn’t die because of an accident.”
Then the lights in the entire house went out.
