Chapter 6 - THE MAN IN THE HOUSE
Every security officer was disarmed and separated.
Salvatore hated doing it.
Some had protected Ruby since infancy.
But trust had already failed once.
He would not let sentiment make it fail twice.
The burner phone had been found in Daniel Price’s locker.
Daniel had worked nights for four years.
He looked stunned.
“I’ve never seen that phone.”
Marco watched him carefully.
“Your locker.”
“Anyone can open those.”
“They require codes.”
Daniel turned to Salvatore.
“Sir, I swear.”
“Where were you when Ruby disappeared?”
“North staircase.”
“Witness?”
Daniel hesitated.
“No.”
That was bad.
Then Ruby appeared in the doorway holding Maria’s hand.
Salvatore softened immediately.
“You should be upstairs.”
Ruby pointed at Daniel.
“He gave me cookies.”
Daniel blinked.
Salvatore frowned.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“What cookies?”
“Chocolate.”
Daniel looked confused.
“I didn’t give her anything.”
Ruby shook her head.
“Yes, you did.”
“When?”
“When you had the red towel.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“I don’t own a red towel.”
Marco turned.
“Wait.”
He pulled up hallway footage.
A tall security officer entered the kitchen earlier that evening.
Same uniform as Daniel.
Same general build.
But his face remained turned away from the cameras.
Over one shoulder hung a red cleaning cloth.
Marco froze the image.
“That’s not Daniel.”
Salvatore leaned closer.
“How did someone get a uniform?”
Maria whispered:
“The laundry room.”
They searched it.
One uniform was missing.
So was a master housekeeping key.
Daniel was cleared.
But the real infiltrator remained inside.
Then Elena, Ruby’s evening nanny, failed to answer her phone.
Maria looked worried.
“She would never leave without saying goodbye.”
Search teams spread across the estate.
They found Elena forty minutes later in the greenhouse.
Her wrists had been tied with curtain cord.
She was frightened but unharmed.
Salvatore knelt beside her.
“Who did this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you see his face?”
“No.”
“His?”
“He had a man’s voice.”
Lucinda, under guard nearby, called out:
“Convenient.”
Elena glared at her.
“You.”
Everyone looked at Elena.
She pointed at Lucinda.
“You started this.”
Lucinda’s smile vanished.
Elena reached into her pocket and removed a folded photocopy.
“I found this in Ruby’s desk three days ago.”
Salvatore opened it.
A legal document.
PETITION FOR TEMPORARY FINANCIAL GUARDIANSHIP.
Ruby DeLuca’s name appeared throughout.
So did Lucinda’s.
Salvatore scanned the language.
If he became unavailable, incapacitated, or judged unable to manage Ruby’s financial interests, temporary control of certain assets could transfer to a court-approved guardian.
“This was never signed.”
Elena shook her head.
“There’s another version.”
“Where?”
“I saw it in Lucinda’s office.”
Lucinda lunged forward.
Security stopped her.
Elena continued.
“That one had your signature.”
Salvatore stared at her.
“I never signed it.”
“I know.”
His gaze moved slowly to Lucinda.
“Forgery?”
Lucinda whispered, “You have no idea what you’re looking at.”
Then Marco’s phone buzzed.
He read the message.
His face tightened.
“What?”
“The accounting department just responded.”
Salvatore waited.
Marco looked up.
“Ruby owns shares in three DeLuca companies.”
“I know.”
“Someone tried to transfer voting authority yesterday.”
Salvatore felt cold.
“To whom?”
Marco turned the screen around.
The transfer recipient wasn’t Lucinda.
It was someone Salvatore had trusted his entire life.
His older cousin.
May you like
Matteo DeLuca.
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