Chapter 3 - The Traitor at the Table
“I said take it off.”
Anthony laughed nervously.
“You're serious?”
Roman didn't blink.
Marcus moved toward him.
Anthony raised both hands.
“Fine.”
He removed the shoe.
Roman turned it over.
Embedded in the tread was white gravel.
Claire recognized it.
“The east garden.”
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed toward the shoe.
“That gravel only surrounds the east gate. Mrs. Carter complains because it gets tracked onto the floors.”
Roman stared at Anthony.
“Anything you'd like to tell me?”
Anthony's face collapsed.
“I didn't know anyone would get hurt.”
Roman grabbed his shirt.
“You opened the gate.”
“Julian said he only wanted documents!”
“You believed him?”
“He paid me!”
Marcus cursed.
Roman released Anthony with disgust.
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
Claire stared.
“You risked everyone in this house for money?”
Anthony looked at her.
“Stay out of this.”
Claire stepped forward.
“Someone put a knife against my throat because of you.”
Anthony looked away.
Roman said, “Look at her.”
Anthony didn't.
Roman slammed his palm against the desk.
“LOOK AT HER.”
Anthony jumped.
Roman pointed toward Claire.
“That woman goes downstairs every night to prepare food you eat. She cleans rooms you walk through without seeing her. Tonight she nearly died because you wanted money.”
Anthony's eyes dropped.
“I'm sorry.”
Claire answered quietly.
“No, you're scared.”
Roman looked at her.
Claire continued.
“There's a difference.”
Marcus almost smiled.
Roman didn't.
“Where is Julian?”
“I don't know.”
Roman stepped closer.
“Wrong answer.”
“I swear.”
Anthony pulled out his phone.
“He contacts me through encrypted messages.”
Roman took it.
There was one unread message.
3:00 A.M. Move to phase two.
Roman checked the time.
2:58.
“What is phase two?”
Anthony shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Suddenly the lights went out.
Claire gasped.
Emergency lighting came on.
Then an alarm sounded upstairs.
Marcus checked his radio.
“Security control isn't responding.”
Roman looked at Anthony.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing!”
A crash echoed from the hallway.
Roman pushed Claire behind him.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
He looked back.
“Claire.”
“You're walking into a dark hallway while someone controls your security system.”
“Yes.”
“And your solution is leaving the only person who saw the intruder alone?”
Roman paused.
She had a point.
“Stay behind me.”
They entered the corridor.
Marcus moved ahead.
Suddenly Claire stopped.
“Wait.”
Roman turned.
“What?”
She tilted her head.
“I hear something.”
Nothing.
Then Roman heard it.
Water.
Claire ran toward the west corridor.
“The fire suppression system.”
Smoke appeared beneath a door.
Marcus cursed.
“Fire!”
But Claire shook her head.
“No.”
She opened the service closet.
Water poured from a broken pipe.
“This isn't a fire.”
Roman understood.
“A distraction.”
They ran back.
Anthony was gone.
The study window stood open.
Roman walked toward it.
A rope hung outside.
Marcus swore.
“He planned it.”
Roman looked toward the dark grounds.
“No.”
Claire came beside him.
“What?”
Roman looked at Anthony's abandoned shoe.
“He didn't plan anything.”
Claire understood.
“Julian did.”
Roman’s phone rang again.
Julian.
Roman answered.
“You lost Anthony,” Julian said.
“You used him.”
“I use everyone.”
Roman looked toward Claire.
Julian continued.
“Even your maid.”
“Leave her out of this.”
There was a pause.
Then Julian laughed.
“Oh.”
Roman's expression hardened.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
“I simply didn't realize she mattered.”
Roman said nothing.
Julian's voice changed.
“That makes things much more interesting.”
The call ended.
Claire stared at Roman.
“What does that mean?”
Roman slipped the phone into his pocket.
“It means you're leaving.”
“No.”
“Claire—”
“I've been underestimated twice tonight.”
She stepped closer.
“I'm not letting you become the third man to make that mistake.”
May you like
For the first time, Roman Vale had no immediate answer.
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