Chapter 9 - the glasshouse trap)
The glasshouse stood at the eastern edge of Ashcroft Manor.
Its steel frame rose between dark trees, enclosing tropical plants beneath hundreds of panes of moonlit glass.
Jonathan, Maya, Vivienne, and Curtis approached from separate sides.
Police tactical officers waited beyond the tree line.
Miles had warned that any visible police presence would endanger the ballroom guests.
Jonathan ignored him.
He simply kept the officers hidden.
The countdown reached twelve minutes.
Maya carried the ledger.
Vivienne carried nothing.
Curtis had a concealed firearm.
Jonathan had anger.
They entered.
Warm humid air surrounded them.
Lights activated automatically.
Rows of orchids and palms created narrow paths through the enormous structure.
Miles Hargrove stood beside a stone fountain.
He wore a black tuxedo.
Not a hair was out of place.
Dr. Mercer stood behind him.
And beside Mercer was Evelyn Vale.
Maya stopped.
In person, the resemblance to Vivienne was shocking.
Evelyn's hair had been styled identically.
Her champagne-colored dress matched Vivienne's almost perfectly.
But her eyes were different.
Vivienne's were cold.
Evelyn's were empty.
Miles smiled.
"Family reunion."
Vivienne stared at her sister.
"Evelyn."
No response.
Vivienne took one step forward.
Evelyn lifted a pistol.
"Don't."
Jonathan whispered, "She's alive."
Evelyn looked at him.
"You must be Jonathan."
He stared.
"You know who I am?"
"I've known everything about you."
Maya held up the ledger.
"Open the ballroom."
Miles smiled.
"Give me the book."
"Open the doors."
"You are in no position to negotiate."
Maya looked toward Mercer.
"You took Ethan's blood."
Mercer said nothing.
"You helped poison him."
Mercer's eyes lowered.
Miles sighed.
"Aaron has never been good under pressure."
Jonathan lunged forward.
Evelyn aimed the pistol at his chest.
Maya grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
The countdown reached nine minutes.
Vivienne looked at her sister.
"Why?"
Evelyn laughed quietly.
"You still ask that word as though you were never there."
"I thought you were dead."
"You allowed them to bury an empty coffin."
"I was twenty-eight."
"So was I."
Vivienne's voice cracked.
"Father told me you drowned."
"Father told everyone whatever protected the company."
Miles interrupted.
"Enough."
He extended his hand toward Maya.
"The ledger."
She did not move.
"Why is it so important?"
"It contains records that belong to me."
"No."
Maya looked at Vivienne.
"It contains evidence."
Miles smiled.
"Evidence expires when everyone who understands it is dead."
Jonathan's jaw tightened.
"You killed Julian."
Miles looked at him almost pityingly.
"Your brother was unstable."
"Answer me."
"He discovered things that would have destroyed the company."
"So you killed him."
Miles glanced at Evelyn.
"Decisions were made."
Vivienne stared at her sister.
"Evelyn?"
Evelyn did not answer.
Maya felt the truth before anyone said it.
Julian's death had not been Miles acting alone.
Vivienne stepped backward.
"Oh God."
Evelyn's expression remained flat.
"He was going to expose Halcyon."
"He was your nephew."
"He was an Ashcroft."
"So are you."
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
"Not anymore."
The countdown reached six minutes.
Maya lifted the ledger.
"Open the ballroom or I burn this."
Miles laughed.
"With what?"
Maya looked at Curtis.
He understood.
He removed a lighter from his pocket and tossed it to her.
Miles's expression changed.
Maya held the flame near the book.
"Five minutes."
Miles said, "You wouldn't."
"My mother died because of this ledger."
"Exactly. She valued it."
"My mother valued me more."
Maya moved the flame closer.
"Open the doors."
Miles looked at Mercer.
Mercer shook his head.
"Do it."
Miles's eyes narrowed.
"Four minutes."
Evelyn's gun remained aimed at Jonathan.
Vivienne stepped directly between them.
"Move," Evelyn said.
"No."
"Vivienne."
"You want an Ashcroft dead?"
Vivienne opened her arms.
"Start with me."
Evelyn's hand trembled.
For the first time, emotion appeared.
Miles saw it.
"Evelyn."
Vivienne moved closer.
"You never wanted Julian dead."
Evelyn's face twisted.
"You know nothing."
"You loved him."
"Stop."
"You taught him piano."
"Stop."
"You sent him books from Paris."
Evelyn shouted.
"Stop."
The gun wavered.
Miles stepped forward.
Maya immediately brought the lighter to the ledger's edge.
"Open the doors."
The countdown reached three minutes.
Miles swore.
He removed his phone.
Pressed something.
Curtis's radio exploded with voices.
"Ballroom doors open. Evacuation underway."
Jonathan exhaled.
Maya lowered the lighter.
Miles smiled.
"Now the book."
She threw it.
Not to Miles.
To Vivienne.
Miles moved after it.
Curtis tackled him.
The glasshouse erupted.
Mercer ran.
Jonathan caught him near the fountain.
Evelyn aimed at Curtis.
Vivienne struck her arm.
A gunshot shattered a glass pane overhead.
Maya ducked.
Miles threw Curtis aside and lunged toward the ledger.
Maya kicked it away.
Evelyn and Vivienne struggled.
Another shot fired into the stone floor.
Jonathan slammed Mercer against a column.
Curtis recovered and tackled Miles again.
Maya crawled toward the ledger.
A hand grabbed her ankle.
Miles.
He pulled her backward.
"You are exactly like your mother."
Maya kicked him in the face.
He released her.
She reached the ledger.
Then Evelyn screamed.
Everyone stopped.
Vivienne stood frozen.
The pistol lay between them.
Evelyn clutched her side.
Blood spread across the champagne fabric.
No one seemed to know whose hand had fired the shot.
Evelyn collapsed.
Vivienne caught her.
"Evelyn."
The older woman's eyes opened.
She looked at her sister.
Then at Maya.
"Anna."
Maya approached.
"I'm Maya."
Evelyn laughed weakly.
"I know."
She reached for Maya's apron.
"Your mother didn't die on Rosebank Bridge."
Maya stopped breathing.
Jonathan stared.
"What?"
Evelyn's fingers tightened.
"Ask him."
"Ask who?"
Evelyn's gaze moved past Maya.
Toward Jonathan.
May you like
"Ask him where Catherine went."
Then her eyes closed.
