Chapter 8 - Bellweather After Midnight
Bellweather estate stood on thirty acres beyond the northern edge of the city.
Eleanor had built the main house from dark stone and cedar. As children, Emma and her older brother Michael called it the castle.
Michael died in a boating accident when Emma was sixteen.
Afterward, Bellweather became quiet.
Eleanor closed several rooms.
Vanessa visited only when money was discussed.
Emma had not entered the house since her grandmother’s memorial service.
At eleven forty that night, rain covered the long driveway.
Emma sat in Adrian’s car near the iron gates.
Two private security officers waited in another vehicle.
Adrian had insisted they notify police, but the message from Maya’s phone was not enough to establish a crime at Bellweather.
Daniel had requested a meeting.
Emma decided to attend.
Not because she trusted him.
Because Celeste might be inside.
They entered through the kitchen door using Adrian’s estate key.
The house smelled of dust and cedar.
No lights were on.
Emma moved through the service corridor toward the library.
Eleanor’s portrait hung above the fireplace.
Someone had disturbed the room.
Drawers stood open.
Books covered the carpet.
A section of wood paneling had been pried away from the wall.
“They’re searching for something,” Adrian whispered.
Emma noticed muddy footprints leading toward the basement stairs.
A woman cried out below them.
Emma ran.
Adrian tried to stop her, but she was already descending.
The basement had once contained wine storage and archives. At the bottom of the stairs, a single light burned.
Celeste Ward sat tied to a wooden chair.
Blood marked one side of her face.
Her eyes widened when she saw Emma.
“Get out.”
Emma rushed toward her.
“Where is Maya?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian cut the ropes with a small utility blade.
Celeste could barely stand.
“Daniel is here,” she whispered.
A door slammed upstairs.
The lights went out.
One of the security officers shouted.
A heavy crash followed.
Adrian switched on his phone flashlight.
“We’re leaving.”
Celeste grabbed Emma’s arm.
“No. The evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“Eleanor hid the original birth records here.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Vanessa thinks I do.”
Footsteps moved across the floor above.
Then Daniel’s voice came through the darkness.
“Emma?”
She froze.
He sounded calm.
“Come upstairs,” he called. “No one needs to get hurt.”
Adrian moved in front of her.
Daniel continued.
“Celeste has been lying to you. Ask her who took the money.”
Emma looked at Celeste.
She was shaking.
“I created Azure Meridian,” Celeste whispered. “But not for myself.”
“Then why?”
“To move Lily’s money where Vanessa couldn’t reach it.”
“You stole from her trust.”
“I protected it.”
“By buying a resort investment?”
“The resort company was a shell. The funds were supposed to return through a protected account.”
“Supposed to?”
“Daniel intercepted the transfer.”
Upstairs, glass shattered.
Daniel called again.
“Emma, Adrian cannot protect you.”
Celeste leaned closer.
“He needs the third key because some files are still sealed.”
“What files?”
“The recordings from Saint Lucia.”
“What happened there?”
Celeste’s eyes filled with fear.
“Vanessa didn’t invite Daniel for a holiday. She invited him to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Whether to save Lily or secure the trust.”
Emma stared at her.
“There was no donor.”
Celeste looked away.
“There was.”
The basement seemed to lose all air.
“What did you say?”
“A compatible heart became available twelve hours before Lily died.”
Emma’s knees weakened.
“That’s impossible. Dr. Ortega said there was no match.”
“He never received the updated allocation.”
“Why?”
“Someone withdrew Lily from priority status.”
Emma could not hear anything except her own heartbeat.
“Who?”
Celeste looked toward the stairs.
“Daniel signed the authorization.”
Footsteps started down.
A beam of light cut through the darkness.
May you like
Daniel appeared halfway down the staircase.
He held a gun.
