Chapter 7 - THE HIDDEN ROOM
The police searched the mansion until dawn.
Nathan was nowhere to be found.
The note was taken as evidence, but David photographed it before handing it over.
Lily sat in the kitchen, shaking.
David placed a cup of coffee in front of her.
“You should go somewhere safe.”
“I’ve been safe nowhere since Emily died.”
“You can stay at my security apartment.”
She looked at him suspiciously.
“You trust me?”
“I trust what I’ve seen.”
“What about what Vanessa said?”
David’s expression hardened.
“She lied about everything else.”
The police discovered that the blood on the glove belonged to Nathan, but there was no sign of an injured man anywhere near the property.
The note had been written in Emily’s handwriting.
That frightened Lily more than anything.
Emily had supposedly died six months earlier.
David returned to the west wing and studied the room.
The silver key remained in his hand.
He examined the walls, the desk, and the old bookshelves.
Then he noticed a small metal lock hidden beneath the desk.
The key fit.
A section of the wooden wall clicked open.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
Lily stood at the entrance.
“Does this house have secret rooms?”
“It does now.”
They entered.
The passage led beneath the mansion to a concrete room filled with monitors.
Every camera in the house was connected to the system.
But the screens showed not only the present.
They showed months of recorded footage.
David searched the dates surrounding his accident.
A video appeared.
It showed Vanessa meeting Nathan in the garage.
Nathan placed something beneath David’s car.
Vanessa watched him.
Then she handed him an envelope.
David paused the footage.
Lily covered her mouth.
“That’s him.”
A second video began automatically.
It showed Emily entering the garage two nights later.
She discovered the damaged vehicle.
Before she could leave, Nathan appeared behind her.
The footage ended.
David searched through the files.
There were recordings of Vanessa, Nathan, and several bank transfers.
Then he found a folder marked EMILY CARTER.
Inside was a final video.
Emily appeared on screen, pale and frightened.
“If you’re watching this, I’m probably dead,” she said.
Lily started crying.
Emily looked directly into the camera.
“Vanessa didn’t order the accident alone.”
A voice sounded behind them.
May you like
“You should have left the room locked.”
CLIFFHANGER: David turned around and saw Nathan standing at the passage entrance, holding a gun.
