Chapter 6 - Victoria Comes Back
Victoria returned to the mansion the following evening.
Not because she was invited.
Because she still legally possessed limited residency rights under Robert's estate agreement.
Mark met her at the entrance with two officers present.
"You can't stop me from entering my home," she said.
Mark's expression remained flat.
"It isn't your home."
Victoria smiled.
"We'll see."
Her attorney handed Mark papers.
Victoria had filed a claim arguing that Mark was mentally unstable and had threatened her.
She wanted temporary control over portions of the estate while the matter was reviewed.
Mark almost laughed.
Instead he handed the papers to his attorney.
"Do whatever you have to."
Victoria walked past him.
Lily watched from upstairs.
Her face went pale.
Mark immediately sent her to stay with Claire's sister, Rachel, for the night.
Victoria noticed.
"Taking my granddaughter away?"
"She's not your granddaughter."
Victoria stopped.
Mark stepped closer.
"You lost the right to use that word when you frightened her into silence."
Victoria's smile disappeared.
"You know nothing."
"I know Claire found Dad's recording."
Victoria's eyes flickered.
Mark saw it.
"There it is."
She recovered.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Claire knew what you were doing."
"Claire imagined many things."
"Where is she?"
Victoria walked away.
Mark followed.
"Where is my wife?"
She stopped beside the staircase.
"Maybe Claire finally understood she doesn't belong here."
Mark's voice dropped.
"Neither do you."
For several seconds neither moved.
Then Victoria said quietly, "Your father used to say that."
Mark stared at her.
"He changed his mind."
"No. He died."
Victoria's expression became unreadable.
Mark suddenly wondered something he had never seriously considered.
Robert's death had been ruled natural.
Heart failure.
He had suffered cardiac problems.
But Victoria had controlled his medications.
His appointments.
His diet.
His schedule.
Mark called the detective immediately.
They reopened questions surrounding Robert's final months.
Victoria learned about it before midnight.
At twelve fifteen, a fire alarm activated in the west wing.
Mark ran downstairs.
Smoke poured from the basement archive.
Someone had set the files on fire.
The sprinkler system failed.
Security footage showed nothing.
The cameras had once again been disabled.
But this time Victoria no longer had administrator access.
Someone else inside the house was helping her.
Mark and the staff managed to contain the fire before everything was destroyed.
Police collected what survived.
One detective pulled Mark aside.
"Who has full security access?"
"Me. Head of security. Two technicians."
"And household management?"
"The estate manager."
"Name?"
"Charles Benton."
Charles had worked for the family for twenty-three years.
Mark trusted him.
Or thought he did.
They found Charles in his office.
His computer was gone.
His phone was gone.
So was he.
The side gate had been opened at eleven fifty-eight using Charles's access code.
A vehicle had left.
Police issued an alert.
At four in the morning, they found Charles's car abandoned beside the river.
No body.
No sign of violence.
Inside the trunk was a box containing burned photographs from the basement.
And Claire's wedding ring.
Mark stared at it inside the evidence bag.
For the first time since Claire disappeared, despair nearly overwhelmed him.
The detective noticed.
"This doesn't prove she's dead."
Mark said nothing.
"It could have been planted."
Mark looked at him.
"By Victoria?"
"Or Charles."
"Why?"
"We don't know yet."
Mark went home.
At dawn he stood in Lily's empty bedroom.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Silence.
"Hello?"
A whisper.
"Mark."
His knees nearly gave out.
"Claire?"
The connection crackled.
"Claire, where are you?"
"I don't know."
"Are you hurt?"
"I can't stay on."
"Tell me anything."
He heard her breathing.
Then three words.
"She has Lily."
The call disconnected.
Mark stared at the phone.
Lily was supposed to be safe at Rachel's house.
He called immediately.
Rachel answered crying.
"Mark."
May you like
His heart stopped.
"Lily's gone."
