Chapter 3 - Someone Inside the House Opened the Door
The estate became silent twenty minutes later.
Not peaceful.
Silent.
Sadi stayed behind Victor’s desk until Marco returned.
“You okay?”
“Where’s Victor?”
“Handling it.”
“That means nothing.”
Marco gave her a tired look.
“It means exactly what you think it means.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Two guards. They’ll live.”
“And Victor?”
Marco hesitated.
That was enough.
Sadi stood.
“Where is he?”
“Sadi—”
“Where?”
The library door opened.
Victor walked in.
His white shirt was torn near his left shoulder.
A dark stain spread beneath the fabric.
Sadi went pale.
“You’re hurt.”
“Barely.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’ve done that before.”
He walked toward the desk.
His knees suddenly buckled.
Sadi caught his arm.
“Victor!”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re falling over.”
“Temporary disagreement with gravity.”
“Sit down.”
He looked at her.
“Now.”
Marco stared between them.
Victor actually obeyed.
Sadi ripped open the mansion’s emergency medical kit.
“What happened?”
Victor said nothing.
Marco answered.
“Someone opened the service gate.”
Sadi stopped.
“From inside?”
“Yes.”
Victor’s eyes met hers.
“That’s why the alarm didn’t trigger.”
Sadi pressed gauze against his shoulder.
He winced.
“Sorry.”
“You’re not.”
“No.”
A faint smile touched his mouth.
Then disappeared.
Marco placed a tablet on the desk.
“We checked access logs.”
Victor looked at the screen.
“Who?”
“Staff credential.”
Sadi’s stomach tightened.
“Whose?”
Marco looked uncomfortable.
“Sadi’s.”
She froze.
Victor’s expression became unreadable.
“That’s impossible.”
Marco nodded. “Her badge opened the service gate at 11:14.”
“I was upstairs.”
“I know.”
Sadi stepped backward.
“My badge is in my locker.”
Marco and Victor exchanged a look.
Victor said, “Bring it.”
Ten minutes later, Marco returned.
“No badge.”
Sadi felt sick.
“I didn’t do this.”
Victor looked at her.
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because if you wanted me dead, you had twenty opportunities while pressing gauze into my shoulder.”
“That isn’t funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Marco folded his arms.
“Someone framed her.”
Victor stood despite Sadi’s protest.
“Who has access to staff lockers?”
“House management. Security supervisors. Senior staff.”
Sadi suddenly remembered something.
“Eleanor.”
Victor turned.
“Who?”
“Mrs. Graves. The head housekeeper.”
Marco frowned.
“She’s worked here eleven years.”
“She asked for my badge Saturday.”
“Why?”
“She said payroll needed the identification number.”
Victor and Marco exchanged another look.
“Where is she?” Victor asked.
Nobody answered.
Because Eleanor Graves had disappeared.
By dawn, they found her car abandoned near the river.
Inside was Sadi’s badge.
And an envelope containing ten thousand dollars.
Marco stared at the money.
“O’Shea.”
Victor shook his head.
“Too obvious.”
Sadi looked between them.
“Then who?”
Victor picked up the envelope.
“Someone who wants me to believe Mick did this.”
Sadi’s phone rang.
Unknown caller.
Victor immediately held out his hand.
“No.”
“Sadi.”
“No. It’s my phone.”
She answered.
“Mick?”
His voice sounded frightened.
“Listen to me.”
Sadi frowned.
“You threatened my brother.”
“I know.”
“You used my name to get into Victor’s house?”
“No.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because whoever hit Costello’s estate came for me last night too.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
Sadi put the phone on speaker.
Mick continued.
“Victor, if you’re listening, we’ve got a mutual problem.”
Victor’s voice became cold.
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t end this conversation.”
“Because someone is cleaning house.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“I know who paid Eleanor.”
Victor went still.
“Name.”
Mick breathed into the phone.
“Daniel Costello.”
Sadi looked at Victor.
For the first time, she saw genuine shock.
“Who’s Daniel?” she whispered.
Victor didn’t answer.
Marco did.
“Victor’s uncle.”
Then Victor quietly added:
May you like
“The man who raised me.”
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