Chương 4
“What?”
“It was empty.”
“You threw away an empty box from a garage someone broke into after your husband died?”
“I was twenty-nine years old with a toddler, rent I couldn’t cover, and a dead husband whose life had apparently included things I didn’t understand.”
Her voice rose.
“I was not preserving evidence for a murder case nobody told me existed.”
The word murder landed between them.
Dominic said nothing.
Sophia heard herself.
Her mouth parted slightly.
“Michael’s death was an accident.”
“That is what the report says.”
“You just said it like you don’t believe it.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly.”
Dominic stood and picked up the watch.
“I need Vincent.”
Sophia stood too.
“If you think Michael was involved with your father—”
“I don’t know what I think.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Dominic looked at her.
“I think your husband possessed an item that disappeared from evidence after my father was murdered.”
Sophia’s face went pale.
“I think a man connected to that item appeared near your daughter three weeks ago.”
He held up the watch.
“And I think the same description matches a man who approached my son last year and gave him this.”
Sophia gripped the chair back.
“What does that mean?”
“It means someone has been close to both children.”
Her face changed instantly.
The grief vanished beneath something more primitive.
“No.”
Dominic went to the door.
Sophia stepped in front of him.
“No.”
“I heard you.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I do.”
“My daughter is not part of whatever this is.”
“She became part of it when she saw the man in the cold room.”
“No.”
Sophia’s voice broke.
“She is three.”
Dominic lowered his voice.
“And my son is eight.”
For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
Neither argument could defeat the other.
A knock sounded against the staff kitchen door.
Vincent entered without waiting.
His face was different.
Dominic noticed immediately.
“What?”
“We found something.”
“Where?”
“Cold-room access log.”
“I thought the camera was down.”
“Camera was.”
Vincent held out a tablet.
“The electronic latch still logged entries.”
Dominic took it.
At 6:19 p.m., pastry chef Maria Velasquez had entered.
At 6:21, she had exited.
At 6:24, the camera system rebooted.
At 6:25, the cold-room door opened again.
The credential belonged to Julian Moretti.
Sophia read over Dominic’s shoulder.
Neither of them spoke.
Vincent continued carefully.
“Julian says he was in the ballroom at six twenty-five.”
“He was,” Sophia said.
Dominic turned toward her.
“You’re sure?”
“I handed him a drink.”
“What time?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
Vincent swiped the screen.
“We have ballroom footage.”
He showed them.
The timestamp read 6:25:17.
Julian stood beside the piano speaking to two guests.
Dominic stared at the image.
“So someone cloned his credential.”
“Or borrowed it.”
“Julian keeps it on him.”
“Usually.”
Dominic handed back the tablet.
“Where is he now?”
“Still in the library.”
“Has anyone spoken to him?”
“Only me.”
“Good.”
Vincent hesitated.
“There’s more.”
Dominic waited.
“The service entrance logged an exit at six thirty-one.”
“Who?”
“No credential.”
“That door requires one.”
“From outside.”
“Not from inside.”
Vincent nodded.
“Someone left.”
Dominic looked at the timeline again.
“What does the exterior camera show?”
“Nothing.”
“Another outage?”
“No.”
Vincent’s mouth tightened.
“The person knew the blind spot behind the catering truck.”
Dominic’s gaze sharpened.
“Which means?”
“They knew the property.”
Sophia whispered, “Or someone showed them.”
Dominic looked at her.
She had gone very still.
“What?”
Sophia’s eyes were fixed somewhere beyond him.
“Michael.”
“What about him?”
“He worked here once.”
The room seemed to contract.
Dominic stepped closer.
“When?”
“Before I did.”
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
Sophia shook her head slowly.
“I didn’t know this was your house then.”
“What did he do?”
“Electrical work.”
Vincent’s face hardened.
“When?”
“Seven years ago.”
Dominic felt the past shift beneath his feet.
Seven years ago, his father had been murdered.
Seven years ago, Elena had died.
Seven years ago, the estate’s security system had been replaced after both deaths.
“Who hired him?”
Sophia pressed one hand to her mouth.
“I don’t know.”
Dominic reached for the tablet again.
“Vincent.”
“I’m already thinking it.”
“Pull archived contractor records.”
“They won’t all be digital.”
“Then wake whoever keeps paper.”
Vincent turned to leave.
“Wait.”
Dominic’s voice stopped him.
“Find Julian’s old access history too.”
Vincent looked at him.
“How far back?”
“Seven years.”
Sophia stared at Dominic.
“You think your brother—”
“I think nothing.”
The lie sounded worse the second time.
Vincent left.
Sophia picked up Lily’s drawing and folded it with trembling fingers.
“I want her out of this house.”
“No.”
Her head snapped up.
“Excuse me?”
“If the man knows where she goes to school, moving her tonight without a plan is more dangerous.”
“I’m her mother.”
“And somebody who tried to kill my son may know her face.”
Sophia stepped closer.
“You don’t get to decide where my child is safe.”
Dominic’s answer came immediately.
“No.”
That stopped her.
He looked toward the corridor leading to Lily’s room.
“But I get to tell you something you don’t know.”
Sophia waited.
“This estate has a secure interior suite.”
“For Ethan?”
“For emergencies.”
“I’ve never seen it.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“That’s comforting.”
“It has independent locks, cameras, ventilation, and no exterior windows.”
Sophia’s expression turned bitter.
“You have a bunker.”
“I have enemies.”
“You say that like those are different things.”
Dominic almost replied.
Then his phone vibrated.
Vincent’s name appeared.
Dominic answered.
“What?”
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Sophia watched his face.
Finally, Dominic asked, “Are you certain?”
Vincent spoke again.
Dominic looked down at the gold watch in his hand.
“When?”
Another pause.
Dominic ended the call.
Sophia’s voice came quietly.
“What did he find?”
Dominic raised his eyes to hers.
“Michael Carter wasn’t hired here as an electrician.”
Sophia stopped breathing for a second.
“What?”
“He was listed as a subcontractor.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No.”
May you like
Dominic turned the watch over.
The initials on the back caught the fluorescent kitchen light.
