Chương 4
The older officer looked up at her.
“Ma’am, are you able to stay where you are for a few minutes?”
“Yes.”
“Is there another way downstairs?”
“The service stairs in the back.”
“Are those safe?”
“I believe so.”
Julian said, “They are.”
The officer gave him a look that made clear his confirmation was not especially valuable.
“I’ll have someone check.”
The medic began urging Eleanor onto a cervical collar.
She resisted until Chloe snapped, “Can you just stop being difficult for ten seconds?”
Eleanor stared at her daughter.
Then she went still.
It was a tiny victory, and Chloe looked almost ashamed of having won it.
A third officer entered through the front door.
The younger officer directed him toward the back service stairs.
He disappeared into the kitchen.
Julian moved toward the living room.
The older officer stopped him.
“Sir, stay here.”
“I need my phone.”
“Where is it?”
“In my office.”
“You can tell another officer where it is.”
Julian’s face changed again.
This time Victoria saw unmistakable panic.
The older officer noticed.
“So we’ll leave it where it is for now.”
Julian nodded too quickly.
Chloe looked at him.
“What’s on your phone?”
“Nothing.”
“Everybody keeps saying nothing tonight.”
“Chloe.”
“No, seriously, it’s becoming the family motto.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
The medic placed a temporary bandage against her head.
A distant siren grew louder outside.
Victoria heard another set of footsteps behind her.
The officer who had gone through the kitchen appeared at the far end of the upstairs hallway.
“The back stairs are clear.”
Victoria released a breath she had not realized she was holding.
He approached slowly.
“Mrs. Vance?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Officer Reynolds.”
“Victoria.”
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
“You’re pregnant?”
“Thirty-four weeks.”
“Any pain?”
She started to say no.
Then her abdomen tightened.
Her hand went to the underside of her stomach.
Officer Reynolds noticed.
“Any pain?”
“I’m not sure.”
That was the first honest answer she had given herself in several minutes.
The tightening eased.
Then returned.
Not sharp.
Not yet.
But definite.
Victoria looked down at the foyer.
Eleanor was being lifted onto a stretcher.
Julian stood near the wall, barefoot, pale, and furious at everyone except the person who had nearly sent his wife down a marble staircase.
“I think I need my doctor.”
Officer Reynolds nodded.
“We’ll get you checked.”
“No ambulance through the front.”
He glanced at the staircase.
“Right.”
He guided Victoria toward the service hall.
She took three steps and stopped.
“My phone.”
“You have it.”
“No.”
She held it up.
“I mean I need to make sure it stays with me.”
“It will.”
Victoria looked at him.
“There’s video on it.”
“We can preserve that.”
“My attorney has a copy.”
“That was smart.”
The compliment made her suspicious because Julian had spent years teaching her that every certainty could be turned against her.
Officer Reynolds seemed to understand the hesitation.
“Keep the phone for now.”
Victoria nodded.
They moved toward the back staircase.
Below, Eleanor suddenly shouted.
“Julian!”
Everyone turned.
She strained against the stretcher straps.
“Don’t let them take the computer.”
The foyer went silent.
Julian closed his eyes.
The older officer looked toward the hallway leading to Julian’s office.
“Which computer?”
Eleanor’s lips parted.
She seemed to realize what she had done.
Chloe gave a slow, disbelieving shake of her head.
“Oh, my God.”
Julian stepped toward his mother.
“Stop talking.”
The older officer moved between them.
“Sir.”
Julian stopped.
Eleanor stared at the ceiling.
The medic pushed the stretcher toward the open front door.
Chloe followed two steps, then stopped and looked back at Julian.
“Camille Hart.”
He said nothing.
“Who was she?”
“Chloe, not here.”
“Was she real?”
Julian rubbed both hands over his face.
Victoria watched him from the service hallway.
Chloe’s voice dropped.
“Was I stolen?”
Julian looked at her so quickly that the answer arrived before his denial.
“No.”
Chloe went white.
“What did you just think I meant?”
“Nothing.”
“You looked scared.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“It’s four in the morning and Mom tried to kill your pregnant wife.”
“Allegedly.”
Victoria felt the word strike harder than she expected.
Chloe heard it too.
Her head turned slowly toward him.
“Allegedly?”
Julian immediately corrected himself.
“I mean legally.”
“You mean carefully.”
“Chloe.”
“She filmed Mom doing it.”
“You don’t know what the video shows.”
Victoria’s hand tightened around her phone.
There he was.
Not the husband she had imagined.
Not even the frightened accomplice she had feared.
This was the Julian she had been living with all along, the one who searched for weak seams while everyone else was still bleeding.
Officer Reynolds touched Victoria’s elbow lightly.
“Ma’am?”
She nodded and continued down the service stairs.
Each step felt absurdly ordinary.
Painted wood.
Narrow railing.
A laundry basket someone had left on the landing.
At the bottom, Victoria stopped near the kitchen.
The black container Eleanor had used was gone.
She looked around.
“It was here.”
Officer Reynolds followed her gaze.
“What was?”
“The grease.”
“Where exactly?”
“Beside the stairs when I first saw her.”
“You recorded it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see anyone move it?”
“No.”
Julian was still in the foyer with the older officer.
Chloe stood near the front door.
Eleanor was already outside.
Victoria looked toward the kitchen island.
Nothing.
Pantry.
Nothing.
Then she noticed the basement door standing open by three inches.
It was usually kept shut because the hinges squeaked.
Victoria pointed.
“That door.”
Officer Reynolds went first.
He opened it fully.
A dark streak marked the brass knob.
Grease.
He immediately stepped back.
“Nobody touch this.”
The older officer came over.
They exchanged a few quiet words.
Julian looked toward the basement.
His shoulders sagged.
Chloe saw that too.
“What’s down there?”
Victoria answered before Julian could.
“The utility room.”
Chloe looked at him.
“And?”
Julian swallowed.
“And storage.”
Victoria’s abdomen tightened again, harder this time.
She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter.
Officer Reynolds turned.
“Victoria?”
May you like
She breathed through it.
“It’s stronger.”
