Chapter 4 - The Ledger Beneath the Floor
Laura did not sleep.
At 2:13 in the morning, she sat on the narrow bed in her staff room listening to Daniel’s final voicemail.
She had never deleted it.
“Laurie, don't call me back. I’m probably being paranoid. But if anything happens to me, follow the lantern.”
Then his laugh.
Soft.
Embarrassed.
Alive.
“I love you, kid.”
The recording ended.
Laura pressed the phone against her chest.
Six years.
Six years of believing a stranger had killed her brother for his wallet.
Six years of trying to make peace with a lie.
A knock sounded.
Laura stood instantly.
“Who?”
“Bess.”
Laura opened the door.
The housekeeper entered wearing a robe.
“I heard what Mr. Hardwick told you.”
Laura stiffened.
Bess raised a hand.
“Not from him.”
She sat.
“Your brother came here once.”
Laura forgot how to breathe.
“What?”
“Six years ago. Garrett's father was still alive. Daniel asked questions about a shipment.”
“What shipment?”
Bess hesitated.
“Antiques.”
Laura frowned.
“Daniel investigated financial crimes.”
“They weren't antiques.”
Bess looked toward the door.
“They were ledgers.”
The following morning Garrett had the west archive opened.
Dust covered shelves that had not been disturbed in years.
Laura joined him.
“Bess said Daniel came here.”
“I know.”
“You knew last night?”
“No.”
She believed him.
That irritated her almost as much as distrusting him would have.
They searched for three hours.
Nothing.
Then Laura noticed something carved into the wooden baseboard.
A lantern.
Small enough to miss.
She knelt.
“Garrett.”
He joined her.
Behind the baseboard was a narrow cavity.
Inside sat a leather notebook.
Laura recognized Daniel’s handwriting before Garrett opened it.
Her knees nearly gave out.
Page after page contained dates, accounts, shell companies, judges, contractors and police officers.
Then Garrett turned a page.
Celeste Vane.
Laura stared.
The entry was six years old.
Celeste would have been twenty-five.
Beside her name Daniel had written:
Courier? Possibly unwilling. Find out who controls her.
Laura looked at Garrett.
“She knew Daniel.”
Garrett's face hardened.
Before either could speak, the archive door slammed shut.
A metallic click followed.
Garrett grabbed the handle.
Locked.
Then Laura smelled smoke.
“Garrett.”
Fire crawled beneath the far shelving.
Someone had poured accelerant.
Garrett tore off his jacket.
“Window.”
It had been painted shut decades earlier.
He struck it with a chair.
Once.
Twice.
Glass exploded outward.
Smoke filled the room.
Laura shoved Daniel’s notebook under her uniform.
Garrett climbed onto the sill.
“You first.”
“No.”
“Laura.”
“You're taller. Get through and pull me up.”
For one absurd second he stared at her.
Then obeyed.
He climbed onto the narrow stone ledge outside.
Laura followed.
A burning shelf collapsed behind her.
She slipped.
Garrett caught her wrist.
Laura dangled above the courtyard.
“Don't you dare let go.”
Garrett almost laughed despite the flames.
“I wasn't planning to.”
He hauled her upward.
Security arrived below.
Twenty minutes later, they stood on the lawn watching smoke pour from the west wing.
Celeste ran outside wearing a silk robe.
“What happened?”
Garrett looked at her.
“Fire.”
“How?”
“We don't know.”
Laura watched Celeste.
Not her face.
Her hands.
One was shaking.
Garrett saw Laura notice.
That afternoon he ordered the estate locked down.
Nobody entered.
Nobody left.
At sunset, Malcolm brought him the security footage.
The camera outside the archive had been disabled eleven minutes before the fire.
By someone using Garrett’s personal security code.
Only four people possessed it.
Garrett.
Malcolm.
Bess.
And Celeste.
Garrett stared at the screen.
Laura stood behind him.
“You still planning to marry her?”
He looked back.
“No.”
The answer came too quickly to doubt.
“When were you supposed to?”
“Saturday.”
Laura blinked.
Three days.
“Does she know?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
Garrett closed Daniel’s notebook.
“Because whoever started that fire believes the notebook burned with us.”
Understanding dawned.
“You want them comfortable.”
“I want them careless.”
Laura looked at him for a long moment.
“You're using me as bait.”
Garrett’s expression hardened.
“No.”
“You are.”
“I won't let anyone touch you.”
“You don't get to make that promise.”
“Why?”
“Because my brother probably believed somebody would protect him too.”
That landed.
Garrett lowered his voice.
“I should have.”
Laura looked at him.
“You couldn't save Daniel.”
“No.”
A pause.
“But I can help you find who killed him.”
Their eyes held.
For the first time, the distance between employer and maid seemed suddenly artificial.
Garrett noticed it too.
He stepped back first.
That night Celeste made another call.
“He found the ledger.”
A man's voice answered.
“Then Saturday changes.”
“How?”
“Hardwick doesn't make it to the wedding.”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“And Laura?”
May you like
A pause.
“She dies first.”
