Chapter 6 - the party that had to happen)
Vanessa refused to give Daniel a name.
Not yet.
She claimed the mansion was under surveillance.
She claimed phones were compromised.
She claimed that if they changed too much too quickly, the woman responsible would know Caroline’s evidence had been found.
Marcus hated the plan.
Daniel hated it more.
But they restored the dinner party.
Publicly, nothing was wrong.
The charity banquet would proceed Saturday evening.
Privately, Marcus arranged undercover security.
Every guest would be photographed.
Every vehicle logged.
The upstairs hallway would be monitored.
Lucy would remain with Daniel at all times.
Vanessa agreed.
Evelyn did not.
“You are turning a charity dinner into a police operation,” she snapped when Daniel confronted her.
“Your car was at the marina the night Caroline disappeared.”
Evelyn’s face did not change.
“You’ve been listening to Marcus Reed.”
“I saw the photograph.”
“Then you saw a car.”
“Your car.”
“It was stolen that evening.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“You never reported it.”
“I recovered it the same night.”
“From where?”
“I don’t remember.”
“That’s convenient.”
Evelyn poured tea.
“Daniel, grief has damaged your judgment for years. I tolerated it because Vanessa loved you.”
“Did you know Caroline?”
“Of course.”
“How well?”
“She was your wife.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Evelyn placed the cup down.
“Caroline accused many people of many things near the end.”
“Such as?”
“Financial crimes. Conspiracies. People following her.”
Daniel watched her carefully.
“You make her sound unstable.”
“I think she was afraid.”
“Of you?”
Evelyn smiled.
“No.”
“Of Vanessa?”
A hesitation.
“No.”
“The woman in red?”
The porcelain cup slipped from Evelyn’s hand.
It struck the saucer but did not break.
Daniel leaned forward.
“You know her.”
Evelyn recovered quickly.
“I know no such person.”
“You just answered the question.”
“Get out.”
“This is my house.”
“Then perhaps stop filling it with ghosts.”
Daniel left knowing he had found a pressure point.
Saturday arrived.
By six in the evening, the mansion glowed.
Crystal chandeliers.
White roses.
Champagne towers.
Musicians.
Politicians.
Business owners.
Philanthropists.
The Hartford elite arrived beneath camera flashes.
Daniel wore a black suit and white waistcoat.
Lucy wore the white dress she had chosen herself.
She remained close to him.
Vanessa appeared in blue.
When Daniel saw her descend the staircase, he remembered why he had once believed he could build a future with her.
Then he remembered Caroline’s recording.
Every feeling became complicated.
“You’re staring,” Vanessa said.
“I’m wondering how much of you I ever knew.”
“That makes two of us.”
She glanced at Lucy.
“Keep her close.”
“I intend to.”
At seven-fifteen Marcus signaled Daniel.
A guest had arrived using the name Victoria Lang.
No invitation could be found.
Daniel moved toward the entrance.
The woman was in her fifties.
Red gown.
Dark hair.
For one second Daniel thought they had found her.
Then Lucy saw her.
“That’s not her.”
Daniel knelt.
“You’re sure?”
Lucy nodded.
The stranger turned out to be a donor’s wife whose assistant had accidentally omitted her name from the list.
False alarm.
At seven-forty, another problem.
One upstairs camera failed.
Marcus sent a guard.
Nothing.
At eight-ten, Vanessa received a text.
She showed Daniel.
MIDNIGHT. BLUE ROOM. ALONE.
No sender.
Daniel looked at Marcus.
“It’s bait.”
“Obviously.”
Vanessa swallowed.
“She knows.”
“Who?”
Vanessa still refused.
Daniel grabbed her arm.
“Enough.”
She pulled free.
“She has people everywhere.”
“So do I.”
“You don’t understand what she can do.”
“Then make me understand.”
Before Vanessa could answer, Evelyn appeared.
“Daniel, the governor wants to speak with you.”
“Not now.”
Evelyn looked at Vanessa’s phone.
Her face went white.
Daniel noticed.
“You recognize the message.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
Vanessa whispered, “Mother?”
Evelyn looked between them.
Then toward the staircase.
“She wasn’t supposed to come until midnight.”
Daniel’s pulse quickened.
“Who?”
Evelyn turned.
Lucy was gone.
Daniel’s entire body went cold.
He shouted her name.
Music stopped.
Guests turned.
Mrs. Grayson appeared near the dining room.
“She was beside me ten seconds ago.”
Daniel ran toward the stairs.
Marcus followed.
Vanessa shouted, “Check the blue room!”
They reached the second floor.
The hidden cabinet stood open.
Empty.
A sound came from the far end of the hallway.
Crying.
Daniel ran.
The storage room door was locked.
“Lucy!”
“Daddy!”
He threw his shoulder against it.
Once.
Twice.
The frame cracked.
Marcus kicked beside the lock.
The door flew open.
Lucy sat on the floor.
Alone.
Daniel scooped her up.
“Who did this?”
Lucy buried her face against him.
“She said you would pick Vanessa instead of me.”
“Who said?”
“She did.”
“The lady?”
Lucy nodded.
Daniel carried her toward the ballroom.
He had reached the doorway when Vanessa looked up.
And something inside Daniel finally snapped.
“Who locked my daughter in that room?”
Vanessa stared at him.
The entire ballroom went silent.
May you like
And then, to Daniel’s disbelief, she answered.
“It was me.”
