Chapter 2 - Six Hours Before the Door Opened)
At seven fifteen that morning, Grant Mercer believed the day would be ordinary.
Noah had thrown half his breakfast onto the floor.
Tessa had laughed.
Grant had pretended to be annoyed.
The kitchen was filled with warm morning light and the soft sound of Noah banging a spoon against the tray of his high chair.
For almost ten minutes, Grant had forgotten what grief felt like.
Those ten minutes mattered.
He had not experienced many of them since Elise died.
"You have a nine o'clock meeting," Tessa reminded him.
Grant checked his watch.
"I know."
"You've checked the time four times."
"That's why I know."
Tessa smiled.
Grant picked up a piece of banana from the floor.
Noah immediately dropped another one.
Grant stared at him.
Noah stared back.
Tessa covered a laugh.
Grant pointed at his son.
"You're doing that deliberately."
Noah slapped both hands against the tray.
Tessa laughed openly this time.
Grant smiled despite himself.
It was the kind of tiny moment that Elise would have loved.
The thought arrived without warning.
His smile faded.
Tessa noticed but did not comment.
That was one reason he trusted her.
She never tried to fix his grief.
She simply allowed it to exist.
Grant had hired Tessa six months earlier after three other caregivers had quit.
Noah had been difficult after Elise's death.
He cried constantly.
He refused bottles from strangers.
He woke every hour.
Grant had been running a company during the day and walking his son through dark hallways at night.
Then Tessa arrived.
Within a week, Noah slept for four hours at a time.
Within a month, he laughed again.
Within three months, Grant stopped waking every night terrified that something had happened to his child.
Tessa had become necessary.
Perhaps too necessary.
Vivienne had mentioned that more than once.
Grant's phone buzzed.
Vivienne.
He answered.
"Morning."
Her voice was bright.
"Did you remember dinner?"
"Seven thirty."
"Seven."
Grant looked at Tessa.
She pretended not to hear.
"Seven," Grant corrected.
Vivienne laughed softly.
"I knew you'd forget."
"I remembered the dinner."
"That's not the same thing."
Grant poured coffee.
"What time is your meeting with the attorney?"
"Eleven."
"About the foundation?"
"And a few estate issues."
Grant's hand paused.
"What estate issues?"
Vivienne hesitated.
"Nothing dramatic. Elise left some charitable instructions that still need signatures."
Grant's expression tightened.
Vivienne immediately softened her voice.
"I'm sorry. I should have said it differently."
"It's fine."
"I know you hate hearing about paperwork connected to her."
Grant looked toward the family photograph beside the breakfast nook.
Elise was holding Noah at three weeks old.
She was smiling at the camera.
Grant stood beside her.
Vivienne had taken the picture.
"I'll see you tonight," he said.
"Grant."
"What?"
"I love you."
He did not answer immediately.
Tessa looked down.
Grant closed his eyes.
Vivienne had begun saying it two weeks earlier.
He had not said it back.
Not because he disliked her.
Not because he suspected her.
Because loving anyone after Elise still felt like trespassing.
"I'll see you tonight," he repeated.
Vivienne was silent for half a second.
Then she said, "Of course."
The call ended.
Tessa lifted Noah from the chair.
Grant carried his coffee toward the entryway.
"You're uncomfortable around her."
Tessa stopped.
Grant turned.
"I didn't say anything."
"You don't have to."
Tessa adjusted Noah against her hip.
"I work for you. My opinions about your personal life aren't relevant."
"That sounds like an opinion disguised as professionalism."
Tessa smiled faintly.
Grant waited.
Finally she said, "Vivienne doesn't like me."
"That's obvious."
"She doesn't like how attached Noah is to me."
"Also obvious."
Tessa looked toward Noah.
The baby was tugging on the collar of her tunic.
"It's more than that."
Grant watched her.
Tessa seemed to reconsider.
"Forget it."
"No."
"It's probably nothing."
"You brought it up."
Tessa walked toward the living room.
Grant followed.
"What happened?"
"Yesterday she asked me whether Noah still cries when he's alone."
Grant stopped.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
"Exactly what did she say?"
Tessa thought.
"She said, 'Does he still cry if you leave the room, or has he finally learned that no one is coming?'"
Grant's expression hardened.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because she said it like a joke."
"Was Noah there?"
"Yes."
Grant looked toward his son.
Noah had begun playing with Tessa's necklace.
"Anything else?"
Tessa hesitated again.
"She goes into Elise's office."
Grant stared at her.
"No one goes into Elise's office."
"I know."
"The door stays locked."
"I know."
"How?"
"I saw her leaving it last Thursday."
Grant felt irritation rise.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I wasn't sure whether you had given her permission."
"I didn't."
Tessa's face became serious.
Grant put his coffee down.
"What was she carrying?"
"I couldn't see clearly."
"Documents?"
"Maybe."
Grant turned toward the hallway.
Elise's former office was at the end.
The door had remained locked since the week after the funeral.
Grant kept the key in the top drawer of his bedroom dresser.
Or he thought he did.
He walked upstairs.
Tessa followed only as far as the staircase.
Grant entered his bedroom and opened the drawer.
The key was there.
He picked it up.
A tiny piece of transparent tape was stuck near the teeth.
Grant frowned.
He had not put it there.
He took the key downstairs.
The office door was still locked.
He opened it.
The room smelled faintly of Elise's perfume.
Grant had not entered in months.
Dust covered the desk.
Her books remained exactly where she had left them.
A coffee mug sat beside the computer.
He had never been able to throw it away.
Tessa remained in the doorway.
Grant looked around.
Nothing seemed disturbed.
Then he noticed the framed wedding photograph on the bookshelf.
It was facing slightly toward the wall.
Grant walked over.
Behind the photograph was an empty space in the dust.
Something rectangular had been sitting there recently.
He turned.
"Tessa."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever been in this room?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
She looked almost offended.
"Completely."
Grant returned the photograph to its place.
His phone buzzed again.
A message from his assistant told him the board was already waiting.
Grant looked at the time.
He was late.
He locked the office.
Before leaving, he turned to Tessa.
"If Vivienne comes here today, call me."
Tessa nodded.
"Don't let her into this office."
"I won't."
"And don't leave Noah alone with her."
Tessa's eyes sharpened.
"Wasn't planning to."
Grant grabbed his jacket.
At the door, Noah reached toward him.
Grant smiled and kissed his son's forehead.
"I'll be back before dinner."
Tessa watched him leave.
Five minutes later, she carried Noah into the living room.
She placed him beside his toys.
Then she walked to the decorative console table beneath the security camera.
A small envelope was tucked behind the flower vase.
It had not been there the night before.
Tessa pulled it out.
Her name was written on the front.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
Only one sentence was printed on it.
Stop asking questions about Elise Mercer.
Tessa stared at the words.
Behind her, Noah laughed at his toy.
Then the front door unlocked.
Tessa looked up.
May you like
Vivienne Cross walked inside.
It was not yet eight o'clock.
