Chapter 13 - The Upstairs Room
The police told them not to go.
Emily went anyway.
“Your definition of rest is criminal,” Ethan muttered as he parked two houses away from Margaret’s mansion.
“My definition of waiting for everyone else to save us has expired.”
The circled window belonged to a room Margaret kept locked. Emily had once been told it contained antiques too valuable to display.
Detective Ruiz met them at the gate after Ethan finally called her.
“If we enter, I need lawful consent,” Ruiz said.
Ethan held up a key. “I’m co-owner of the property through the family holding company.”
Ruiz sighed. “Of course you are.”
The mansion was silent.
Upstairs, the locked room opened with the third key.
It was not full of antiques.
It was an office.
Boxes lined the walls. Financial binders. Old hard drives. Foundation records.
Emily saw a red leather ledger on the desk.
“Don’t touch anything,” Ruiz warned.
Photographs came first.
Then gloves.
Inside the ledger were coded payments stretching back eight years. Shell companies. Consulting fees. Political donations. Private investigators.
And one entry dated the night Richard died.
G.M. - EMERGENCY CONTAINMENT - 250,000.
Ethan sat down hard.
Emily kept reading.
Three weeks after that payment came another.
M.C. PERSONAL - VEHICLE DISPOSAL.
Ruiz’s expression hardened.
“This is enough for warrants.”
A floorboard creaked in the hall.
Everyone turned.
A young housekeeper stood in the doorway, trembling.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Mrs. Cole told me never to come in here.”
Ruiz asked her name.
“Lena.”
Emily recognized her. Lena had worked at family dinners for years.
“Did you know about this room?”
Lena nodded.
“Did you ever see Mr. Cole in here?” Ethan asked.
“Your father? Once. The night he died.”
Ethan stood.
“What happened?”
Lena’s eyes filled with tears.
“He was yelling at Mrs. Cole and Mr. Mercer. He said he had copied everything. Then Mr. Mercer took his phone.”
“Did they hurt him?”
“I don’t know. I ran downstairs.”
She swallowed.
“But I saw them leave.”
“All three?” Ruiz asked.
Lena shook her head.
“Four.”
Emily felt the room tighten.
“Who was the fourth person?”
May you like
Lena looked directly at Ethan.
“Your brother.”
