Chapter 6 - The Man Inside the House
Daniel did not run.
That frightened Roman more than if he had.
He stood in the cellar with his hands visible.
“Let me see the document.”
Roman did not move.
“Were you in Sophie’s nursery?”
“Yes.”
Claire recoiled.
Roman stepped forward.
“Why?”
“Arthur told me to go there.”
“My father was dead.”
“He gave me the instruction the day before he died.”
Roman’s eyes narrowed.
“What instruction?”
“To remove the wooden horse if anything happened to him.”
Claire stared.
“You took it?”
Daniel looked at her.
“No.”
“When I got there, it was already gone.”
Roman glanced at Claire.
She had claimed she found the horse herself.
Claire’s expression changed.
Roman saw it.
“You lied.”
Claire shook her head.
“Roman—”
“You said you broke it open.”
“I did.”
“But Daniel says it was already gone from the nursery.”
Claire looked at Daniel.
“When were you there?”
“1:42 A.M.”
Claire went pale.
Roman noticed.
“When did you take the horse?”
Claire whispered.
“After sunrise.”
“Then how?”
No answer.
Roman’s voice lowered.
“How did you take something that had already been removed?”
Claire closed her eyes.
“I put it back.”
Roman stared.
“You what?”
“I took it before Arthur died.”
The cellar went silent.
Roman’s anger returned.
“Why?”
“Arthur told me to.”
Roman almost shouted.
“Did everyone in this family have secret conversations with my father except me?”
Claire’s eyes flashed.
“He was trying to protect you.”
“By lying to me?”
“Yes.”
Roman looked away.
Sophie was still watching them.
He lowered his voice.
“No more of this in front of her.”
He pointed toward Nora.
“Take Sophie upstairs.”
Sophie grabbed his hand.
“No.”
“Sophie.”
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“Every time adults tell me to leave the room, somebody lies after I’m gone.”
Nobody answered.
Roman looked at her.
The sentence hurt because it was true.
He knelt.
“You deserve the truth.”
Sophie nodded.
“But some of this truth is ugly.”
“I already know ugly things.”
Roman’s throat tightened.
He looked at Nora.
“Stay with her.”
Then he stood.
“Daniel.”
The security chief nodded.
“I want every detail.”
Daniel removed his weapon and placed it on the table.
A gesture of surrender.
“Arthur contacted me twenty-four hours before he died.”
“He believed someone inside Vale Holdings had discovered his investigation.”
“Who?”
“He didn’t know.”
“He told me Claire had the drive.”
Roman looked at Claire.
She nodded.
Daniel continued.
“He ordered me to remove anything linking Sophie to the evidence trust.”
“That included the horse.”
“But Claire had already taken it.”
“Yes.”
“Why were you listed in the bank records?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Arthur paid me through a private account.”
“For protection?”
“Yes.”
Claire shook her head.
“Those payments continued after Arthur died.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Because Helena paid me.”
Roman turned toward his mother.
Helena did not deny it.
“For what?”
“Watching you.”
Roman stared.
Daniel spoke.
“And watching everyone around you.”
Roman laughed once.
“Fantastic.”
“Who else was on your list?”
“Board members.”
“Claire.”
“Nora after she was hired.”
“Judge Reed.”
“Your former CFO.”
“Three police officials.”
“Two members of Helena’s staff.”
Roman stopped.
“Which staff?”
Daniel looked toward the ceiling.
“The house manager.”
Roman’s expression changed.
“Thomas?”
“Yes.”
Thomas Bell had worked at the estate for twenty-three years.
He knew every room.
Every lock.
Every schedule.
“Where is he?”
Daniel touched his earpiece.
No response.
He tried again.
“Control, locate Thomas Bell.”
Static.
One guard answered.
“Mr. Bell left the estate approximately fifteen minutes before lockdown.”
Roman turned.
“He got through the gate?”
“The south gate was opened manually.”
Daniel swore.
“Find him.”
The guards moved.
Roman returned his attention to Daniel.
“Did Thomas have access to the east wing?”
“Yes.”
“The hidden room?”
“I don’t know.”
Claire suddenly spoke.
“He knew.”
Everyone turned.
“How?”
“Thomas delivered food there when Arthur worked overnight.”
Roman remembered.
Of course.
Thomas knew the house better than anyone.
The disabled cameras.
The fire.
Sophie’s disappearance.
Roman looked toward the corridor.
“Get every address attached to Thomas.”
Daniel nodded.
“Already doing it.”
Nora spoke.
“There’s somewhere else.”
Roman looked at her.
“What?”
“The lake house.”
Claire stiffened.
“No.”
Nora stared.
“Thomas visited us.”
Claire’s face drained.
“When?”
“Twice.”
“You never told me.”
“You disappeared.”
Claire stepped toward her.
“When did he visit?”
“First time was six months ago.”
“And second?”
“Last week.”
Roman felt another piece slide into place.
“What did he want?”
“He told Sophie he was checking the heating system.”
Sophie whispered.
“He went into Mom’s room.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
Sophie nodded.
“He told me not to follow him.”
“What did he take?”
“I don’t know.”
Claire ran one hand through her hair.
“The original drive.”
Roman looked at her.
“You had it?”
“No.”
“Then what was he looking for?”
Claire hesitated.
Roman’s patience ended.
“Claire.”
She looked at him.
“Arthur made two copies.”
Roman’s face hardened.
“You have one.”
“Yes.”
“Where is the other?”
Claire looked at Sophie.
The girl frowned.
“Mom?”
Claire knelt.
“Remember the music box?”
Sophie’s eyes widened.
“The ballerina?”
“Yes.”
Roman looked between them.
“What music box?”
Sophie answered.
“Grandpa gave it to Mom.”
Claire stood.
“The second drive is inside it.”
“Where?”
“At Lake Briar.”
Roman turned to Daniel.
“Cars.”
Claire grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Roman looked down at her hand.
She released him.
“If Thomas has already been there, he may know.”
“That’s why we’re going.”
“He could be waiting.”
Roman picked up Daniel’s spare weapon from the table.
Claire stared.
Roman checked the magazine.
“For eight years everyone has decided what I’m allowed to know.”
He looked at his mother.
Then Claire.
Then Daniel.
“That ended tonight.”
Sophie suddenly spoke.
“The music box isn’t at the lake.”
Claire froze.
“What?”
Sophie looked at Nora.
Then back at her mother.
“I moved it.”
Claire’s face changed.
“Where?”
Sophie swallowed.
“I gave it to somebody.”
Roman’s pulse quickened.
“Who?”
Sophie looked frightened.
“The man who told me Dad was still alive.”
Roman stared.
“What man?”
She whispered.
“Grandpa.”
Nobody moved.
Arthur Vale had been dead for nine years.
Roman lowered the gun.
“Sophie.”
“My father is dead.”
Sophie shook her head.
“No.”
May you like
“I saw him.”
---
