Chapter 4 - The Woman in the Road
Grace Holloway was found lying beside an abandoned service road just beyond the eastern edge of the Varric property.
She was barefoot.
Her white nursing uniform was stained with mud.
One wrist had been tied so tightly that purple bruising circled the skin.
There was a needle mark in her arm.
When Naomi examined her at the estate, she found traces of a powerful sedative.
Grace woke forty minutes later.
The first word out of her mouth was Nico’s name.
“Where is he?”
Matteo stood at the foot of the bed.
“Safe.”
Grace tried to sit up.
Naomi pushed her gently back.
“Don’t.”
Grace blinked at Liana.
“Who are you?”
“The new maid.”
Grace looked confused.
Then terrified.
“No.”
Matteo noticed.
“What?”
Grace looked at Liana again.
“You weren’t supposed to be here yet.”
Silence.
Liana stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
Grace immediately looked toward Matteo.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No.”
Matteo moved toward the bed.
Grace began shaking.
Naomi stepped between them.
“Back up.”
Matteo glared.
“She knows something.”
“And she was just drugged.”
“I’m fine.”
Grace whispered.
Naomi turned.
“You’re not.”
Grace closed her eyes.
Then tears slipped down her face.
“I tried to stop it.”
Matteo’s anger disappeared.
“Stop what?”
Grace opened her eyes.
“The injections.”
Liana’s skin went cold.
Matteo’s voice lowered.
“Who was giving them?”
Grace looked toward the door.
“I don’t know.”
“That answer will not help you.”
“I never saw.”
Grace’s breathing quickened.
“They happened when I was off shift.”
“What happened?”
“I would come back and Nico would be sleepy.”
Grace swallowed.
“Sometimes there was a little blood behind his ear.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did.”
Matteo stared.
“When?”
“I told Dr. Vale.”
Matteo’s face hardened.
Grace continued.
“He said it was irritation from Nico scratching.”
“And you believed him?”
“At first.”
She began crying.
“Then Nico started screaming.”
Liana sat beside the bed.
“When?”
“About three weeks ago.”
The timeline matched.
“What did you do?”
Liana asked.
“I started keeping records.”
Grace looked at Matteo.
“I knew someone was entering the nursery.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
Grace laughed weakly.
“Because the first time I tried, Damian stopped me outside your office.”
Matteo’s jaw clenched.
“What did he say?”
“That I was becoming emotionally unstable.”
Grace’s lips trembled.
“He said Nico’s crying was affecting me.”
“And then?”
“He told Dr. Vale.”
She looked away.
“They threatened my nursing license.”
Liana felt anger rise.
“They told me if I accused a Varric family member without evidence, I’d never work again.”
Matteo turned toward Rafe.
“Where is Damian?”
“Still missing.”
Grace grabbed the blanket.
“I found evidence.”
Everyone looked at her.
“What?”
“I installed my own camera.”
Matteo leaned closer.
“Where?”
“Inside the air vent above Nico’s crib.”
Rafe immediately left.
Grace looked at Liana.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have done more.”
Liana shook her head.
“You were trying.”
Grace started crying harder.
“I thought if I just caught whoever it was—”
Naomi squeezed her shoulder.
“You survived.”
Grace looked at her.
“Did they find my phone?”
“No.”
“I recorded everything.”
“Where?”
“On a hidden account.”
Matteo straightened.
“Password?”
Grace hesitated.
Liana saw fear return.
“If I tell you…”
“You’re already in danger.”
Matteo said.
Grace stared at him.
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“You don’t understand.”
She looked around the room.
“It isn’t just your cousin.”
Matteo froze.
“Who else?”
Before Grace could answer, the lights went out.
The room dropped into darkness.
Nico cried from the adjoining room.
Liana spun toward the sound.
“Nico!”
A crash came from the hallway.
Rafe shouted.
“Lockdown!”
Emergency lights flickered red.
Matteo reached inside his jacket.
Liana ran toward Nico’s room.
“Stay back!”
Matteo snapped.
She ignored him.
Nico was screaming.
She reached the crib.
He was there.
Safe.
Liana scooped him up.
Behind her came a sharp sound.
Glass breaking.
Naomi screamed.
Liana turned.
Someone had thrown something through the window.
Smoke began spreading across the floor.
“Out!”
Rafe shouted.
Matteo grabbed Liana’s arm.
He pulled her toward the hall.
Naomi and Grace followed.
A guard slammed the door.
They reached the staircase.
Security alarms started shrieking.
“What happened?”
Liana asked.
“Smoke device.”
Rafe answered.
“Distraction.”
Matteo stopped.
“Grace.”
Everyone looked back.
Grace was no longer with them.
Naomi stared down the corridor.
“She was right behind me.”
Rafe ran back.
Matteo handed Nico to Liana.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Liana.”
“Whoever took her is still in the house.”
Matteo stared at her.
“That is exactly why you stay here.”
He disappeared down the hallway.
Liana held Nico close.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Rafe returned first.
His face told them everything.
“She’s gone.”
Naomi cursed.
“How?”
“Service stairs.”
Matteo came behind him holding a small black object.
Grace’s phone.
He looked at the cracked screen.
“They dropped this.”
Rafe took it.
“It’s locked.”
Naomi said.
“She mentioned a hidden account.”
Matteo looked toward the smoke-filled corridor.
“Can you open it?”
Rafe nodded.
“Eventually.”
Liana looked down at Nico.
The baby had stopped crying.
His eyes were fixed on something over her shoulder.
Liana turned.
A maid stood at the end of the hallway.
Not Beatrice.
Another employee.
Young.
Blonde.
Her face looked terrified.
“Sir?”
Matteo looked at her.
“What?”
“I saw someone.”
“When?”
“Just before the lights went out.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Mrs. Varric.”
The entire hallway went silent.
Matteo’s face changed.
“What did you say?”
The maid began trembling.
“I know it sounds crazy.”
“Say it again.”
“She looked like Mrs. Varric.”
Matteo stepped toward her.
“Sofia is dead.”
“I know.”
“Then you did not see my wife.”
The maid started crying.
“I saw a woman wearing her coat.”
Matteo stopped.
“What coat?”
“The gray one.”
His face lost color.
Rafe looked at him.
“What?”
Matteo spoke slowly.
“Sofia was wearing a gray coat the night she died.”
The maid nodded.
“That one.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve seen the pictures.”
Matteo stared at her.
Liana whispered.
“Where did the woman go?”
The maid pointed toward the western staircase.
“Down to the old garage.”
Matteo turned immediately.
Rafe followed.
Liana stayed with Nico and Naomi.
Minutes later, Matteo returned carrying something in one hand.
A gray wool coat.
The fabric was worn and stained.
One sleeve had a dark brown mark across it.
Liana didn’t need anyone to tell her what it looked like.
Blood.
Matteo stared at the coat.
“This was Sofia’s.”
Naomi whispered.
“Where did you find it?”
“On the floor beside the old garage door.”
Rafe came behind him.
“And there’s something in the pocket.”
Matteo reached inside.
He removed a small brass key.
Attached to it was a paper tag.
Bellmore Storage - 214.
Liana’s heart began pounding.
Matteo looked at her.
“We’re going to Bellmore.”
Naomi stepped forward.
“With Nico?”
“No.”
Liana shook her head.
“I’m going.”
Matteo looked at her.
“You stay with him.”
“My daughter’s name was in Sofia’s files.”
“This is not your fight.”
Liana stared at him.
“My baby is dead.”
Her voice remained quiet.
“Don’t ever tell me this isn’t my fight.”
Matteo held her gaze.
Neither moved.
Finally he looked away.
“Be ready in ten minutes.”
Then Rafe’s phone buzzed.
He checked the message.
His expression hardened.
“What?”
Matteo asked.
Rafe looked up.
“It’s from Grace’s hidden account.”
“What does it say?”
“There’s a video.”
Rafe opened it.
The footage came from inside Nico’s nursery.
Timestamp: 2:17 a.m.
Four nights earlier.
Nico slept in his crib.
A figure entered.
Dark clothes.
Gloves.
A hood.
The figure approached the baby.
In one hand was the silver injector.
Liana stopped breathing.
The person leaned over Nico.
Then turned toward the hidden camera.
The hood shifted.
For less than two seconds, the face became visible.
Matteo stepped back.
“No.”
Liana looked at him.
“You know him.”
Matteo did not answer.
Rafe did.
“That’s Father Gabriel.”
Liana stared.
“A priest?”
Matteo’s face had gone completely cold.
“No.”
He whispered.
May you like
“My brother.”
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