Chapter 2 - the room behind the roses
The Grand Bellmere Hotel looked less like a hotel and more like a palace built to remind ordinary people that they did not belong inside it.
The central ballroom occupied the entire eastern wing. Crystal chandeliers hung above polished marble. White roses covered the pillars, tables, and sweeping staircase leading to the private bridal rooms.
When Evelyn and Sophie arrived for the rehearsal, Celeste was standing beneath the floral arch.
She wore a cream silk dress instead of her wedding gown. Her blond hair fell in carefully styled waves, and a row of photographers followed every movement.
Celeste opened her arms.
“My little flower girl.”
Sophie hesitated before walking toward her.
Evelyn remembered when Celeste had been a lonely ten-year-old child following Elise through the gardens. Back then, Celeste had not yet learned how to turn affection into a performance.
“You have grown so much,” Celeste told Sophie.
“You haven’t seen me since I was two,” Sophie replied.
The surrounding assistants became very still.
Celeste’s smile weakened.
“That is why tomorrow will be so special.”
“The wedding is in two days,” Sophie said.
Celeste glanced at Evelyn.
“She notices everything.”
“Children usually do.”
Adrian Blackwood approached from the ballroom entrance.
He was tall, polished, and handsome in the controlled manner of a man who had practiced every expression in a mirror. He kissed Celeste’s cheek and greeted Evelyn as though they were old friends.
“I have heard so much about you.”
“That makes one of us.”
His smile remained perfect.
“My brother Preston handles the less pleasant family business. I prefer celebrations.”
“Preston is your brother?”
“Cousin. But we were raised together.”
Preston appeared behind him.
Unlike Adrian, he did not pretend to be pleased.
His black suit fit perfectly, but his eyes were restless. They moved from Evelyn to Sophie, then to the brass key hanging from a chain around Evelyn’s neck.
“You should keep family valuables somewhere safe,” Preston said.
Evelyn touched the key.
“I do.”
Celeste clapped her hands and ordered the rehearsal to begin.
Sophie practiced walking along the white carpet while carrying a basket of rose petals. Each time she reached the altar, Adrian praised her. Each time she turned away, Preston watched the pocket of her small jacket.
After the rehearsal, Sophie asked to use the restroom.
Evelyn followed, but an assistant intercepted her with seating charts.
“It will only take a minute,” Sophie insisted.
“The restroom is directly across the hall.”
Evelyn watched her enter.
Less than thirty seconds later, the assistant dropped the seating charts.
By the time Evelyn helped gather them, Sophie was gone.
Evelyn searched the corridor.
“Sophie?”
A faint metallic sound came from behind a wall of white roses.
Evelyn pushed aside the flowers and found a narrow service door.
The brass key against her chest had become strangely warm from her hand.
She inserted it into the lock.
The door opened.
Behind it was a small monitoring room filled with screens.
Live camera feeds showed every major corridor, entrance, elevator, kitchen, and ballroom corner.
Sophie stood in the center of the room.
She was staring at one screen.
“What are you doing here?” Evelyn asked.
“I heard someone talking.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Sophie pointed toward the screen.
The image showed Preston standing in the ballroom with Security Manager Marcus Reed.
Marcus was indicating the locations of the cameras.
Preston pointed toward the flower-girl waiting area.
“That angle doesn’t cover the pocket,” he said.
Marcus folded his arms.
“My cameras cover every public section of the ballroom.”
“Then create a blind spot.”
“I don’t alter security for guests.”
Preston stepped closer.
“You are not being paid by the hotel this weekend. You are being paid by the Hawthorne family.”
The screen had no sound, but Sophie had somehow heard the conversation.
Evelyn realized a small maintenance vent connected the monitoring room to the ballroom wall.
Marcus shook his head.
Preston reached inside his jacket and gave him an envelope.
Marcus looked at it but did not take it.
Then Adrian entered the ballroom.
He said something to Preston.
Preston immediately stepped away from Marcus.
Adrian turned toward the camera.
For one unsettling moment, he appeared to look directly at Evelyn through the screen.
Sophie tugged her sleeve.
“There’s another thing.”
She held up a tiny silver object she had found beneath the console.
It was a memory card.
Written across it in faded ink were two words.
Elise accident.
Evelyn’s heart stopped.
The monitoring-room door slammed shut behind them.
May you like
The screens went black.
Someone turned the lock from the other side.
