Chương 13
“You have twelve cars.”
“I need yours.”
“My check-engine light is on.”
“That’s fine.”
“It is not fine.”
“Elena.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Where are you going?”
“Church.”
Grace looked at him.
Elena crossed herself automatically.
“At this hour?”
“Yes.”
“You need Jesus that badly?”
Grace actually laughed.
Julian did not.
Elena’s expression changed.
“What happened?”
“I can’t explain.”
She looked past him toward the hallway.
“Is the little one safe?”
“Yes.”
“That means no.”
Julian held her gaze.
“I need the keys.”
Elena reached into her apron pocket.
Before handing them over, she said, “If you scratch it, you pay for the whole car.”
Julian took the keys.
“That seems fair.”
“It is not fair.”
She pointed a finger at him.
“It favors me.”
For the first time that night, Julian smiled.
Then every light in the mansion went out.
For half a second, the mansion became completely silent.
Then backup lights flickered red along the baseboards.
Julian turned toward the hall.
“Grace, get Amara.”
She was already moving.
Elena grabbed Julian’s sleeve before he could follow.
“Garage door won’t open without power.”
“Manual release.”
“Sticks.”
“Of course it does.”
“I told maintenance.”
“You told who?”
Elena’s face changed.
Julian did not need the answer.
“Go upstairs.”
She crossed herself again and disappeared toward the servants’ stairwell.
Marcus’s voice came from the darkness.
“Boss.”
Julian turned.
Marcus emerged holding a flashlight and a pistol.
“Generator’s not kicking in.”
“Cut or failure?”
“Cut.”
“External?”
“No.”
Marcus’s face was grim.
“Somebody shut it down inside.”
Julian looked toward the service corridor.
“How many exits?”
“Three usable.”
“Lock two.”
Marcus hesitated.
“With what?”
“People.”
Marcus nodded and raised his radio.
Julian grabbed his wrist.
“No radios.”
“Right.”
They separated.
Julian reached the upstairs landing as Grace came out carrying a half-awake Amara wrapped in a blanket.
The child blinked at the red emergency lights.
“Why is the house pink?”
“Because the lights are broken,” Grace whispered.
Amara rested her head against her mother.
Julian said, “Stay behind me.”
Grace’s eyes moved to the pistol in his hand.
“You’re taking that near her?”
“I’m taking it near whoever is in my house.”
She did not argue.
A dull thud sounded downstairs.
Then glass broke.
Amara lifted her head.
Grace held her tighter.
Julian led them through the back corridor toward the servants’ stairs.
The main hall was too open.
At the landing below, Marcus appeared again.
“South door breached.”
“How many?”
“Two seen.”
“Internal man?”
“Still unknown.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Get Elena to the kitchen storage room.”
“Already there.”
Marcus looked at Grace.
“The car?”
“Still the plan.”
Marcus almost laughed.
“Then we’re officially desperate.”
Julian handed him Elena’s keys.
“Get it out through the delivery gate.”
Marcus looked at the keychain.
A plastic tomato hung from it.
“This is humiliating.”
“Live with it.”
Marcus vanished downstairs.
Julian turned to Grace.
“You and Amara go with him.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“What about you?”
“I’m staying.”
Grace stared at him.
“You said the key may be at Saint Agnes.”
“I know.”
“If they came here, they’re going there next.”
“I know.”
“Then come with us.”
Julian shook his head.
“I need to know who let them in.”
Grace looked furious.
Then Amara said, “Mister Julian?”
He looked at her.
Her eyes were heavy with sleep.
“Are you scared?”
The question caught him harder than any accusation.
He almost lied.
“Yes.”
Amara considered that.
“Me too.”
Julian nodded once.
“That makes sense.”
She reached one hand toward him from Grace’s arms.
Julian hesitated, then touched her fingers.
“You come too,” she said.
He looked at Grace.
Grace said nothing.
That made the decision worse.
Another crash sounded below.
Julian turned toward it.
Then he heard footsteps from the west hallway.
Too fast.
Too heavy.
He pushed Grace behind the wall and raised the gun.
A man rounded the corner.
Julian fired once.
The bullet struck the wall beside the man’s shoulder.
The intruder dropped and returned fire.
Plaster burst above Julian’s head.
Grace covered Amara with her body.
Julian fired twice more.
The man retreated.
“Move.”
They ran.
At the service stairs, Marcus shouted from below.
“Clear.”
Julian sent Grace first.
Amara had begun crying silently against her mother’s neck.
That sound nearly broke his concentration.
They reached the garage.
Elena’s Honda was already running with the driver’s door open.
Marcus stood beside it.
“You’re coming.”
Julian looked at him.
“That wasn’t a question.”
Another shot echoed upstairs.
Marcus shoved the keys into Julian’s hand.
“You want to die proving you own the building?”
Julian stared at him.
Then he got into the passenger seat.
Marcus drove.
Grace and Amara crouched in the back.
The delivery gate was half open.
Marcus accelerated through it, scraping the passenger mirror against brick.
Julian looked at the broken mirror.
“Elena is going to kill you.”
“Good.”
Marcus shifted gears.
“Means we made it back.”
They drove without headlights for two blocks.
Then Marcus turned them on.
Julian looked behind.
No immediate pursuit.
Grace whispered, “Saint Agnes.”
Marcus looked at Julian.
Julian nodded.
Fifteen minutes later they reached the church.
It sat dark except for one side entrance lamp.
Grace led them to the basement chapel using a key hidden above the parish office door.
Julian did not ask why she knew where it was.
Tonight had run out of room for smaller mysteries.
They reached the memorial wall.
Grace went straight to a brass plaque engraved with her mother’s name.
She removed two screws with a coin from Marcus’s pocket.
Behind the plaque sat a narrow envelope.
Grace pulled it out.
Inside was the brass key.
Nothing else.
Julian stared at it.
Grace whispered, “Still here.”
A voice behind them said, “Because we needed you to retrieve it.”
Everyone froze.
Adrian stood in the doorway.
He held a gun low at his side.
Julian’s face emptied.
Marcus raised his own weapon.
Adrian said, “Don’t.”
Marcus did not lower it.
May you like
Adrian looked at Julian.
“I tried to keep you out of this.”
