Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Never Reached the Police)
Simone woke to darkness.
Her wrists were tied in front of her with plastic restraints.
Her head hurt.
She remembered the loading office.
Malcolm asking about the recording.
Daniel arguing with him.
A cloth pressed over her mouth.
Then nothing.
She moved carefully.
Concrete beneath her.
A humming sound nearby.
Cold air.
Simone reached outward.
Her fingers touched metal.
She was inside some kind of maintenance room.
A thin line of light showed beneath the door.
She crawled toward it.
Voices outside.
Malcolm.
And Evelyn.
Simone froze.
“You were supposed to get rid of the recording,” Evelyn said.
“I did.”
“Then how did Arthur receive part of it?”
A pause.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“James made copies.”
“James has been dead for eighteen months.”
“Which apparently did not stop him from becoming inconvenient.”
Simone leaned closer to the door.
Evelyn lowered her voice.
“The banquet happens tonight. Arthur makes his announcement before dessert. Once that happens, the board freezes every discretionary account.”
“Then we move before dessert.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because if Arthur becomes ill before he signs the succession resolution, everything goes into probate.”
Simone’s stomach turned.
They were discussing Arthur’s death like a schedule.
Malcolm said, “Conrad promised it would resemble cardiac arrest.”
“He promised the same thing with James.”
Silence.
Simone stopped breathing.
James had not died in a simple car accident.
Evelyn continued.
“And look how complicated that became.”
Malcolm sounded angry.
“You told me James had taken the dose before he drove.”
“He had.”
“Then why was there barely any trace in the autopsy?”
“Because Conrad knew exactly what would disappear by the time they tested.”
Simone shifted.
Her shoe scraped concrete.
The voices stopped.
She closed her eyes.
The door opened.
Light flooded the room.
Malcolm stood there.
Behind him, Evelyn.
Simone stared at them.
Evelyn sighed.
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough.”
Malcolm stepped forward.
Simone backed against the wall.
“You won’t get away with this.”
Evelyn almost looked sad.
“That is what James said.”
Simone’s fear became rage.
“You killed him.”
“No.”
“You just said it.”
“I said Conrad gave him something.”
“That killed him.”
“The crash killed James.”
“After you poisoned him.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t understand what James was doing.”
“Does it matter?”
“He was going to destroy everything.”
“Your stolen money?”
“Our family.”
Simone laughed.
“You don’t get to call it family after murdering your husband.”
Malcolm reached for her.
Simone kicked him in the knee.
He cursed.
She lunged toward the door.
Evelyn grabbed her jacket.
The fabric tore.
Simone slammed her shoulder into Evelyn and ran.
The hallway beyond was narrow.
Emergency lights flashed along concrete walls.
Simone did not know where she was.
She ran anyway.
Malcolm shouted behind her.
She turned a corner.
A door.
Locked.
Another corridor.
She heard footsteps gaining.
Then someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into darkness.
Simone tried to scream.
A hand covered her mouth.
“Quiet.”
Daniel.
He closed the maintenance closet door.
Malcolm ran past outside.
Simone shoved Daniel away.
“You.”
“I know.”
“You helped them.”
“I know.”
“My daughter is missing.”
“I found her.”
Simone grabbed his uniform.
“Where is she?”
“She got away from me.”
“You lost my seven-year-old child?”
“She has James’s key.”
Simone stared at him.
“How do you know about that?”
“Because I gave James the key.”
Simone released him.
Daniel explained quickly.
Room 314.
The records.
Malcolm.
James’s investigation.
His own role.
When he finished, Simone looked as though she wanted to hit him.
Daniel would not have blamed her.
“Where is Nia now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then we find her.”
“We can’t walk through the hotel. Malcolm controls half the security team.”
“Then call the police.”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“Someone used my credentials to cancel the request.”
Simone stared at him.
“You can cancel police?”
“You can tell dispatch the situation is resolved.”
“Then call again.”
“My phone is gone.”
Simone raised her tied hands.
“Mine too.”
Daniel looked at the restraints.
He cut them with a folding knife.
“We need proof.”
“I had proof.”
“Malcolm has your phone.”
“Not everything.”
Daniel looked at her.
Simone smiled.
“I uploaded the recording before they took me.”
“To where?”
“My daughter’s tablet.”
“Where is the tablet?”
“At home.”
Daniel exhaled.
“So we get out.”
“No.”
“What?”
Simone stared at him.
“If Evelyn plans to poison Arthur tonight, we don’t leave.”
“Simone.”
“My daughter is somewhere in this building trying to warn a man she has never met.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know my daughter.”
Daniel studied her.
Then he nodded.
“There’s an old service route to the ballroom level.”
“Room 314?”
“Yes.”
Simone stopped.
“Nia knows about the room?”
“I think she found it.”
“Then Malcolm knows too.”
“Yes.”
Simone suddenly remembered something.
The silver packet.
The one she had taken from the floor near Arthur’s dessert tray.
She had placed it in her apron.
Then hidden Nia.
She searched her torn clothing.
Gone.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“The packet.”
“What packet?”
“The one Evelyn emptied onto the dessert.”
“Where is it?”
May you like
Simone’s face went pale.
“My daughter might have it.”
