Chapter 9 - The Missing Evidence
The eastern corridor filled with security officers.
One guarded the stairs while the other searched the adjoining rooms.
Mara sat against the wall, pressing a cloth to a cut above her eyebrow.
Evelyn held Lily behind her.
“What happened?”
“Someone struck me from the doorway.”
“Did you see them?”
“No.”
Mr. Hale checked the locks.
Both keys were gone.
The blue egg key had been taken from Mara’s hand.
The brass key was missing from Evelyn’s pocket.
“The attacker wanted access,” he said.
“To what?” Evelyn asked. “The room is already open.”
Mara looked toward the screen.
“To the next compartment.”
A narrow slot had appeared beneath the projector.
Two keyholes were built into it.
Evelyn felt a chill.
Arthur’s message had warned them.
Do not trust anyone who asks for both keys.
“Did you know that was there?” she asked Mara.
“No.”
“Then why did you ask for my key?”
“To open the first door.”
“You said the true trustee would never possess the blue key before Easter. When did you get it?”
Mara wiped blood from her cheek.
“One of my investigators recovered a duplicate from Arthur’s bank box this morning.”
“You told us the key came from Lenora.”
“No. I said she dropped it.”
“That was a lie.”
“Yes.”
Lily began crying again.
Evelyn lifted her.
“We are done.”
Mara stood unsteadily.
“You cannot leave.”
“Stop saying that.”
“The person who stole the case may already be blocking the exits.”
“I don’t care about the case.”
“It contains the only surviving copies of Nathan’s maintenance records.”
Evelyn stared at her.
“You brought the only copies into the same house as the suspects?”
“They were encrypted.”
“Are they still encrypted?”
“The keys open a physical drive compartment. The digital password is separate.”
“Who knows it?”
“Arthur did.”
“And now he’s dead.”
Mr. Hale examined the projector.
“Perhaps the password is inside the hidden compartment.”
A siren sounded outside.
They hurried to the nearest window.
Smoke rose from behind the garage.
“The archive building,” Mr. Hale said.
Mara cursed and ran toward the stairs.
Evelyn followed with Lily despite every instinct telling her to escape.
They reached the foyer as servants rushed toward the rear exits.
Lenora stood near the front door wearing her coat.
Cassandra was nowhere in sight.
“Where is your sister?” Mara demanded.
“I have no idea.”
“The archive building is on fire.”
Lenora smiled faintly.
“Then perhaps you should call the fire department.”
“They are already coming.”
Evelyn noticed a black stain on Lenora’s sleeve.
Ash.
“Where have you been?”
Lenora looked down.
“I went to the chapel.”
“The chapel is on the opposite side of the property.”
Lenora stepped closer.
“You should take your daughter home. This house is becoming unsafe.”
“That is the first honest thing you’ve said.”
Lily tugged Evelyn’s collar.
“Mommy, Captain is talking.”
A quiet crackling sound came from the rabbit.
Then a distorted voice.
“North corridor. Blue room. Hurry.”
Mara heard it.
“Arthur installed an internal guide system.”
The voice repeated.
“North corridor. Blue room. Hurry.”
Evelyn remembered the mansion’s blue room. It had once been Nathan’s childhood bedroom.
They ran upstairs.
The door was locked.
Mara forced it open with a metal ornament from the hallway table.
Inside, Cassandra stood beside the fireplace.
The black case lay open on the bed.
Documents burned in the flames.
Cassandra held the digital drive.
She looked toward them without surprise.
“You should have left when you had the chance.”
Mara reached for the drive.
Cassandra backed toward the window.
“Stay away.”
Evelyn stepped inside.
“Did you alter Nathan’s car?”
Cassandra’s confident expression faltered.
“No.”
“You were in the garage.”
“I argued with him. That is all.”
“You took his keys.”
“He took mine first.”
“Who was wearing the maintenance uniform?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you burn the records?”
“Because those records don’t prove what you think.”
“Then what do they prove?”
Cassandra looked toward Lily.
“That Nathan was planning to disappear.”
Evelyn felt as if the floor shifted.
“What?”
“He withdrew money. He obtained false documents. He purchased two airline tickets.”
“For whom?”
May you like
Cassandra’s eyes filled with something that looked almost like pity.
“For himself and a woman who wasn’t you.”
