Chapter 4 - The Maid Who Knew Too Much
By nine the following morning, Elena's photograph was everywhere.
A guest had recorded the rescue on a phone.
The video had been posted online before midnight.
Now millions of people had watched a young household employee throw herself beneath a collapsing crystal tower to save a billionaire's son.
News stations called her a hero.
Commentators praised her courage.
Strangers asked whether Richard Vance would reward her.
Elena hadn't watched the video.
She was sitting at her kitchen table in Queens, trying to button her work blouse with one hand.
Her younger brother, Mateo, leaned against the refrigerator.
“Tell me you're not going back.”
Elena struggled with a button.
“I have bills.”
“You have stitches.”
“The stitches aren't paying rent.”
Mateo crossed the kitchen.
“Give me that.”
He helped her with the button.
At nineteen, Mateo was studying mechanical engineering at a community college.
He worked evenings at a grocery store.
Elena had practically raised him after their mother died.
“You could sue them,” he said.
“For what?”
“For almost getting killed.”
“That's not how lawsuits work.”
“You don't know that.”
“I know enough.”
Mateo picked up his phone.
“Someone offered you fifty thousand dollars for an interview.”
Elena looked up.
“Who?”
“A news program.”
“No.”
“Elena—”
“No.”
“That's more than you make in a year.”
“And what would they want me to say?”
“The truth.”
“The truth is a little boy almost died. I don't want people turning that into entertainment.”
Mateo studied her.
“You like that kid.”
“Of course I do.”
“You've worked there six months.”
“He's five.”
Elena finished buttoning her blouse.
“And he's lonely.”
Mateo didn't argue.
He knew what lonely looked like.
They both did.
There was a knock at the apartment door.
Mateo checked the peephole.
Then frowned.
“It's a guy in a suit.”
Elena sighed.
“Probably another reporter.”
The man outside held up an identification card.
“Daniel Mercer. Vance security.”
Elena opened the door.
Daniel looked at her bandaged arm.
“You should be resting.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
“Are you alone?”
“My brother is here.”
Daniel glanced past her.
“Good.”
Something in his tone made Elena step aside.
“What happened?”
Daniel entered and waited until the door closed.
“Raymond Whitmore abandoned his car near the Hudson River.”
“Did you find him?”
“No.”
“Was the footage inside?”
“No.”
Elena folded her arms.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because the hospital contacted us about a suspicious visitor.”
Mateo straightened.
“What visitor?”
“A man claimed he was your cousin and asked for your room number.”
“I don't have a cousin in New York,” Elena said.
“I know.”
Daniel placed a photograph on the table.
Security footage from the hospital lobby.
A tall man in a gray jacket stood near the reception desk.
His face was partly hidden beneath a baseball cap.
But Elena recognized something.
His wrist.
The watch.
Silver.
Red triangle.
“That's him.”
Daniel watched her carefully.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“His name is Raymond Whitmore.”
Mateo swore.
Daniel continued.
“He asked whether you'd been discharged. Then he wanted to know if you had kept any photographs from the terrace.”
Elena felt the blood drain from her face.
“Noah's drawing.”
“What?”
She hurried toward the counter and retrieved the folded paper.
Daniel studied it.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get this?”
“Noah sent it.”
“Did anyone else see it?”
“Only me and Mateo.”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
“I need to get you both somewhere secure.”
Mateo shook his head.
“Hold on. Are you saying somebody wants to hurt my sister?”
“I'm saying somebody is looking for her.”
“Because she saved a kid?”
“Because she may have seen something they don't want explained.”
Elena looked at the drawing.
“There's a black box in his hand.”
Daniel nodded.
“We're trying to identify it.”
“Could it be some kind of remote?”
“Possibly.”
Mateo leaned over the drawing.
“Or a diagnostic controller.”
Daniel looked at him.
“What?”
“Some pedestal systems use powered leveling feet.”
Elena frowned.
“Powered?”
Mateo took the drawing.
“Especially heavy exhibition structures. You can adjust them remotely during installation.”
Daniel's expression sharpened.
“Could someone make a display collapse?”
“If they disabled the mechanical locks and forced one support upward or sideways, maybe.”
“Could it happen quickly?”
“With enough load? Definitely.”
Daniel called the installation company.
Nobody answered.
He called the owner's private number.
Disconnected.
He looked at Elena.
“The company shut its office this morning.”
Mateo stared at him.
“That's convenient.”
Daniel put the drawing into a protective sleeve.
“Elena, I need you to come with me.”
She looked around the small apartment.
“My brother comes too.”
“Absolutely.”
“And I want to see Noah.”
Daniel hesitated.
“That's why Mr. Vance sent me.”
Elena blinked.
“What?”
“Noah hasn't stopped asking for you.”
Richard's private estate occupied fifteen acres behind tall stone walls in Westchester County.
When Elena and Mateo arrived, the driveway was crowded with security vehicles.
The damaged terrace had been sealed.
Forensic investigators moved through the mansion.
Richard met them near the entrance.
He looked exhausted.
“Elena.”
“Mr. Vance.”
“Richard, please.”
She nodded uncertainly.
“Richard.”
He looked at Mateo.
“You must be her brother.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you for coming.”
Mateo seemed surprised.
“Sure.”
Richard turned back to Elena.
“How's your shoulder?”
“Better.”
“Your doctor disagrees.”
She almost smiled.
“Doctors usually do.”
Richard lowered his voice.
“Noah won't leave his room.”
Elena's expression changed.
“Why?”
“He thinks Vanessa will come back.”
She didn't ask any more questions.
She followed him upstairs.
Noah sat on his bed surrounded by stuffed animals.
His toy cars had been lined up along the pillow.
When he saw Elena, he jumped up.
“Miss Elena!”
He ran into her arms.
She winced.
He immediately pulled back.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, sweetheart.”
“You made the face.”
“What face?”
“The hurt face.”
Elena sat beside him.
“Okay. Maybe a little.”
Noah carefully took her uninjured hand.
“I can be gentle.”
“I know.”
Richard watched from the doorway.
His son hadn't smiled like that in weeks.
Noah climbed onto Elena's lap.
Then he whispered something into her ear.
Elena stiffened.
“What?”
Noah glanced toward Richard.
Then whispered again.
Elena looked at the child.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
She raised her eyes to Richard.
“Mr. Vance, Noah says there's something hidden in his mother's room.”
Richard went completely still.
Caroline's room had been locked since her death.
Nobody entered without his permission.
Not even Noah.
“What kind of something?” he asked.
Noah looked down at his wooden car.
“A letter.”
Richard felt his stomach tighten.
“From whom?”
Noah answered softly.
“Mommy.”
May you like
Then he added the words that changed everything.
“She said Vanessa wasn't supposed to find it.”
