Chapter 2 - THE MAN BEHIND THE DOOR
The security room was silent except for the sound of cameras rewinding.
Vincent Hale stood in front of six monitors.
Dominic stood beside him.
His cane remained in his hand.
But he wasn’t leaning on it as heavily anymore.
That alone told Vincent something.
The boss was getting stronger.
And someone was about to become weaker.
“Go back thirty days,” Dominic said.
Vincent nodded.
The footage changed.
Hallways.
Employees.
Doctors.
Security guards.
Nothing.
Then Dominic raised his hand.
“Stop.”
The screen froze.
A man walking through the rehabilitation hallway.
“Zoom in.”
Vincent did.
The image became clearer.
The man wore a maintenance uniform.
His face was partly hidden.
But Dominic recognized the walk.
“Who is that?”
Vincent checked the records.
“Maintenance contractor.”
“Name.”
A few seconds passed.
Vincent’s expression changed.
“That’s strange.”
“What?”
“He doesn’t exist in the system.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Explain.”
“Everyone entering this estate has a record. Employees, contractors, visitors.”
Vincent looked back at the screen.
“This man entered without one.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
Someone had access.
Someone had planned this.
The door opened.
Clare walked in with Ellie.
“Mr. Vale?”
Dominic turned.
“Did she remember anything else?”
Clare hesitated.
“I don’t know if she should be involved.”
Dominic looked at Ellie.
“Neither should you.”
Clare froze.
“I’m sorry?”
“You were cleaning rooms while someone was trying to hurt me.”
Her face changed.
Fear.
Not for herself.
For her daughter.
Dominic noticed.
And for the first time, he saw Clare differently.
She wasn’t just an employee.
She was a mother protecting her child.
Ellie walked toward the screen.
“That’s him.”
Everyone turned.
Vincent stepped closer.
“You’re sure?”
Ellie nodded.
“He had the same shoes.”
Dominic looked at the screen.
Small details.
The thing adults ignored.
The thing children noticed.
“What else?”
Ellie thought.
“He smelled like the hospital.”
Nobody spoke.
Dominic looked at Mercer.
“Who from rehabilitation has access?”
Mercer answered slowly.
“Only trained staff.”
“Names.”
“Angela Pierce. Two technicians. Myself.”
Dominic looked at Vincent.
“Bring them here.”
“Now?”
“Now.”
Twenty minutes later, Angela Pierce entered the room.
She looked nervous.
Too nervous.
Dominic noticed.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
“No.”
“Someone changed my brace.”
Her face went pale.
“I don’t know anything about that.”
Dominic watched her carefully.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You answered before I finished speaking.”
Angela looked down.
Vincent stepped forward.
“Where were you yesterday at 4:15?”
Angela swallowed.
“I was working.”
“Where?”
Silence.
Dominic leaned forward.
“Angela.”
Her eyes filled with fear.
“I made a mistake.”
Everyone became still.
“What mistake?”
She whispered:
“I let someone use my access card.”
Vincent’s hand moved toward his phone.
“Who?”
Angela looked toward the floor.
Then she said the name.
A name nobody expected.
“Arthur Voss.”
The room froze.
Dominic didn’t move.
Because deep down…
He already knew.
But hearing it out loud changed everything.
Arthur wasn’t just waiting for Dominic to fail.
He was helping make it happen.
Then Vincent’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed instantly.
“Boss…”
“What?”
“We found something else.”
“What?”
Vincent looked at Dominic.
“The brace wasn’t the first thing they changed.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“What was?”
May you like
Vincent lowered his voice.
“Your medication schedule.”
