Chapter 1 - The Children in the Foyer)
Arthur read the letter three times.
The words remained the same.
Arthur,
If you are reading this, then either I failed to protect Maya and Noah, or Victoria has finally realized what they are carrying.
Do not let her take them.
Do not let her destroy the documents.
And whatever you believe about those children, understand this first.
Maya and Noah are not my biological children.
They are Blackwoods.
Arthur stopped breathing.
Across the foyer, Maya watched him with terrified eyes.
Victoria stood beside the locked door.
She folded her arms.
"Grace is insane."
Arthur continued reading.
Their father was Daniel Blackwood.
Your brother.
Arthur lowered the paper.
Daniel.
The name had not been spoken inside Blackwood Manor for nearly six years.
Arthur's older brother had died with his wife, Caroline, when their car went over a mountain guardrail during a thunderstorm.
There had been no survivors.
At least that was what Arthur had been told.
No children had been mentioned.
No pregnancy.
No adoption.
No secret family.
Nothing.
Arthur looked at Maya.
Brown eyes.
A narrow chin.
A small dimple beside the left corner of her mouth.
Daniel had possessed the same dimple.
Arthur felt something cold move through his stomach.
Victoria laughed.
It sounded forced.
"Arthur, please. Look at them. Grace forged something because she wanted money."
Noah immediately stepped forward.
"Our mom doesn't steal."
Victoria's eyes hardened.
Arthur turned.
"Do not speak to him."
Victoria stared at him.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Arthur folded the letter.
His hands were shaking.
Victoria noticed.
Her confidence returned slightly.
"You're seriously going to believe some housekeeper over your wife?"
Arthur looked at Maya's cheek.
"We'll discuss what I believe after you explain that."
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"She was hysterical."
"So you hit a seven-year-old?"
"I disciplined her."
"You are not her mother."
Victoria's expression changed.
The words had struck something.
Arthur noticed.
Before he could question it, the side door opened.
Evelyn Price, the estate manager, hurried in.
She was sixty-one, silver-haired, and had worked for Arthur's father before Arthur himself entered the company.
"Mr. Blackwood?"
Her eyes fell on the children.
Then Victoria.
Then the damaged backpack.
Her face tightened.
Arthur held up the letter.
"Where is Grace?"
Evelyn hesitated.
Victoria answered first.
"She quit."
Arthur looked at her.
"When?"
"This morning."
"Why wasn't I told?"
"Because you're running a company, Arthur. I didn't think a maid resigning required an emergency meeting."
Maya shook her head violently.
"No."
Arthur turned.
"What?"
"Mom didn't quit."
Victoria snapped, "Be quiet."
Arthur stepped between them.
Maya swallowed.
"Mom was scared this morning."
"What did she say?"
"She said somebody went into our room last night."
Victoria suddenly moved toward the hallway.
Arthur caught her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"Get your hand off me."
"Where is Grace?"
"I told you."
Arthur's grip tightened.
"Where is she?"
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Noah bent down and began pulling objects from the damaged backpack.
A children's book.
A blue sweater.
A plastic dinosaur.
A broken music box.
Then Noah found a second envelope.
Smaller.
Taped beneath the interior lining.
Victoria saw it.
Her face betrayed her.
Arthur saw that too.
Noah handed him the envelope.
Inside was a key.
Small.
Brass.
Attached to it was a metal tag stamped with three numbers.
317.
Evelyn gasped.
Arthur looked at her.
"You know what this opens?"
She didn't answer.
"Evelyn."
Her eyes remained fixed on the key.
"Your father had one like it."
Arthur frowned.
"My father?"
"He kept it on his key ring for twenty-five years."
"What does it open?"
Evelyn looked toward Victoria.
Fear entered her face.
Victoria smiled faintly.
"Careful, Evelyn."
Arthur turned slowly.
"What did you just say?"
Victoria shrugged.
"Nothing."
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
Then the children.
Finally, she made a decision.
"Union Central Station."
Arthur's confusion deepened.
"What's at Union Central?"
"A private vault facility beneath the old concourse."
Arthur stared at the number.
317.
"My father kept a vault there?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"I don't know."
Maya tugged Arthur's jacket.
"Mom took us there once."
Arthur crouched.
"When?"
"Last Christmas."
"Did you go inside?"
"No. She made us wait with a lady."
"What lady?"
Maya struggled to remember.
"She had white hair."
Evelyn whispered, "Margaret?"
Arthur looked up.
"Margaret who?"
Evelyn's lips parted.
But before she could answer, Arthur's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He almost ignored it.
Then Maya stared at the screen.
"That's Mom's number."
Arthur answered immediately.
"Grace?"
Nothing.
Then breathing.
Weak.
Ragged.
A woman whispered.
"Arthur..."
His body stiffened.
"Grace, where are you?"
"Don't trust..."
The connection crackled.
"Grace?"
"Don't trust the police."
Arthur stood.
"Tell me where you are."
A sound came through the phone.
Metal scraping concrete.
Then Grace whispered four words.
"Victoria knows about Daniel."
The line went dead.
Arthur looked toward his wife.
May you like
Victoria was no longer beside the door.
She was gone.
