Chapter 7 - The Locked Greenhouse)
The announcement changed Vanessa.
Until then, she had been cautious.
After Grant confirmed the wedding would take place in three weeks, she became almost cheerful.
Too cheerful.
She ordered flowers.
She hired a designer.
She talked about renovating Noah's nursery.
She asked Grant's attorney whether marriage automatically changed any provisions in Evelyn's trust.
Grant pretended not to notice.
Claire noticed everything.
One night she saw Vanessa leave the mansion shortly after eleven.
Vanessa wore flat shoes instead of heels.
That alone was unusual.
Claire followed from an upstairs window.
Vanessa crossed the garden toward the greenhouse.
Five minutes later, another figure approached from the guest cottage.
Julian.
Claire's heart began pounding.
He had supposedly been in London.
She texted Grant.
GREENHOUSE. JULIAN IS HERE.
Grant was in Manhattan.
David was forty minutes away.
Claire knew the rules.
Do not confront.
Do not follow.
She followed anyway.
The greenhouse door was partly open.
Claire stopped behind a stone wall.
Inside, Vanessa and Julian were arguing.
"You said he would sign before the wedding," Julian whispered.
"He will."
"We're running out of time."
"Then stop panicking."
Julian lowered his voice.
Claire could barely hear.
"The trust changes when Noah turns one."
Claire leaned closer.
Vanessa answered.
"I know."
"If we miss that date, none of this matters."
"What exactly do you expect me to do?"
Julian stared at her.
"The same thing we agreed."
Claire's stomach turned.
A branch snapped beneath her shoe.
Silence.
Claire ran.
The greenhouse door opened behind her.
She reached the side path.
Someone grabbed her arm.
Claire screamed and twisted.
Julian pulled her backward.
"What did you hear?"
"Let go."
Vanessa approached slowly.
Her face was calm.
"Claire."
Claire kicked Julian's shin.
He cursed and released her.
Claire ran toward the house.
She reached the terrace.
The door would not open.
Locked.
She pulled harder.
Behind her, footsteps approached.
Claire grabbed a metal garden chair and smashed it through the glass panel beside the door.
An alarm erupted.
Lights switched on throughout the mansion.
Vanessa stopped.
Julian disappeared into the darkness.
Claire unlocked the door through the broken glass.
Security guards came running.
Vanessa entered seconds later.
"What happened?"
Claire turned.
"You know."
Vanessa looked at the broken glass.
"She's losing her mind."
Claire laughed.
"Julian is here."
Grant's head of security frowned.
"Mr. Cross?"
"Check the greenhouse."
Vanessa shook her head.
"She followed me outside. Then she started screaming."
Claire looked at the security chief.
"Check it."
They did.
The greenhouse was empty.
So was the guest cottage.
No Julian.
No evidence.
Grant returned just before one in the morning.
Claire told him everything.
David checked the property cameras.
The greenhouse camera had been disabled.
Again.
The garden cameras showed Claire moving through the grounds.
They did not show Vanessa.
Someone had erased only the sections containing her.
"This is getting worse," David said.
Grant looked at the shattered terrace door.
"How did Julian get onto the property?"
The security chief lowered his eyes.
"We don't know."
Grant fired him.
The next morning a new security team arrived.
Vanessa complained that Grant was overreacting.
He told her the security change was because of Claire.
Vanessa accepted the explanation.
Later, Claire entered the laundry room.
Something heavy knocked against her apron pocket.
She reached inside.
A brass key.
Claire had never seen it before.
Attached was a small tag.
POOL EQUIPMENT GATE.
Her chest tightened.
She had not put it there.
She immediately found Grant.
He photographed the key without touching it.
David collected it in an evidence bag.
"Another setup," Claire said.
Grant nodded.
"Probably."
"Probably?"
David looked at her.
"Someone wants a trail connecting you to restricted areas."
Claire suddenly understood.
"The pool."
Grant's face changed.
David looked between them.
"What?"
Claire swallowed.
"The stroller."
"The camera failures."
"The key."
She looked at Grant.
"They're building toward the pool."
Grant became very still.
That night he ordered Noah's stroller removed from the house.
The next morning it was back beside the nursery.
No one admitted bringing it there.
May you like
Under the handle, someone had carved a single word into the leather.
SOON.
