Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Tony did not answer immediately.
He studied Clara's face, searching for confusion or exaggeration. He found neither.
"Why would you think that?"
Clara looked toward the hospital door.
"Because Miss Vance told Mrs. Gable that nobody would believe a temporary maid over a member of the family."
Tony's expression darkened.
"What exactly did you hear?"
Clara described the confrontation in the ballroom. She explained how Lana had struck the tray, accused her of damaging the dress, and demanded that she search the terrace.
Then she remembered something else.
"Mrs. Gable had a key. She locked the door from inside."
"Are you certain?"
"I heard it. I tried the handle. It wouldn't move."
Tony stood.
"I'll make sure this is investigated."
Clara caught his sleeve.
"Please don't tell my father."
Tony looked down at her hand.
"Why?"
"He has enough problems."
"Clara, your father isn't the person who left you outside."
She looked away.
Tony understood that there was more to the story, but he did not press her.
Instead, he called Dominic.
"Bring me the employment file for Clara Thorne. And find out why she has been sending money to Chicago every week."
Dominic arrived before dawn.
He carried a folder and a tablet.
"There's something strange about her file," he said.
Tony opened it.
Clara's application was legitimate. Her references checked out. She had worked as a substitute teacher before accepting the position.
But the emergency contact section contained a Chicago address and a handwritten note.
Father — Arthur Thorne.
Dominic placed another document on the table.
"Her father's name appears in a financial investigation involving Vinnie Gambino."
Tony looked up.
"The loan shark?"
"That's the one. Apparently, Arthur owes him fifty thousand dollars."
Tony's expression changed.
"How did a retired factory worker get involved with Gambino?"
"Sports betting. Then some bad loans. The debt doubled."
"Has Gambino contacted Clara?"
"Several times. Her phone records show repeated calls from unknown Chicago numbers."
Tony closed the folder.
"Find her father. Quietly."
Meanwhile, at the estate, Lana was losing control of the situation.
She paced through her bedroom while speaking to her father.
"You need to fix this."
Victor Vance's voice came through the phone.
"What exactly happened?"
"Tony found the maid outside. He's behaving as though I tried to murder her."
"Did you?"
Lana stopped.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Then tell me what happened."
She lowered her voice.
"Clara was supposed to search for my earring. Mrs. Gable locked the doors. It was a misunderstanding."
"Did you know the weather was that dangerous?"
Lana didn't answer.
Victor sighed.
"You've made a serious mistake."
"Tony loves me. He'll calm down."
"Tony doesn't love you, Lana. He's marrying you because of the financial arrangement. Don't confuse the two."
The words stung.
She ended the call.
Across town, Tony was reviewing the estate's security system with Dominic.
The camera recordings showed a ten-minute gap around the time Clara had been sent outside.
But the access logs revealed that someone had manually disabled the terrace cameras from a maintenance terminal.
The user account belonged to Mrs. Gable.
Tony leaned back.
"Bring her in."
Mrs. Gable was escorted to his study at nine that morning.
She appeared composed, even offended.
"I understand you're upset, sir, but the girl disobeyed a direct instruction."
Tony placed a photograph of Clara in the snow on his desk.
"Does this look like a disciplinary matter to you?"
Mrs. Gable looked away.
"She should have asked someone for help."
"She did."
The housekeeper stiffened.
Tony slid another photograph across the desk. It showed the missing earring beneath Lana's dining table.
"Interesting place to lose something that supposedly fell outside."
Mrs. Gable said nothing.
"Did you know the earring was inside?"
"No, sir."
"Did Lana?"
"I couldn't say."
Tony stood.
"You're going to tell me what happened. If you lie, I'll find out. If you tell the truth, the authorities can decide what happens next."
Mrs. Gable's face finally cracked.
"Miss Vance said Clara had been stealing."
"Evidence?"
"She said she noticed jewelry missing."
"Did you report it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Miss Vance didn't want a scandal."
Tony stared at her.
"You've worked here for eleven years. You know the difference between an employee being disciplined and someone being abandoned in a blizzard."
Mrs. Gable began to cry.
"She told me to lock the doors."
"Who?"
"Miss Vance."
"Did she tell you to leave Clara outside until she found the earring?"
"Yes."
Tony felt his hands tighten.
"How long did you leave her there?"
Mrs. Gable whispered, "I don't know."
"Twenty minutes? Thirty?"
She lowered her head.
Tony called Dominic.
"Contact the police. Preserve every record. Mrs. Gable is not to leave until they arrive."
But before the housekeeper could be escorted away, she turned toward Tony.
"There's something you should know, sir."
He stopped.
"Miss Vance didn't do this because of the maid."
"What are you talking about?"
Mrs. Gable wiped her face.
"She found out Clara had been asking questions about your previous fiancée."
Tony went completely still.
His previous fiancée, Isabella, had died in a car accident four years earlier.
The official investigation had concluded that she lost control of her vehicle on an icy road.
Tony had never questioned the report.
Until now.
"What questions?"
Mrs. Gable looked toward Dominic.
"Clara found an old photograph in the west-wing storage room. It showed Isabella standing with someone who works for the Vance family."
Tony's voice dropped.
"Who?"
Mrs. Gable hesitated.
May you like
Then she answered.
"Victor Vance."
