Chapter 6 - BEATRICE GETS A WARNING
Dr. Price vanished.
By evening, Chicago police had his car.
By midnight, no one knew where he was.
Victoria claimed she was shocked.
Leo did not tell her they were investigating.
He simply watched.
Beatrice did the same.
The next morning, she found a note inside her locker.
No envelope.
No signature.
Four typed words.
YOU ARE NOT FAMILY. LEAVE.
Beatrice stared at it.
Then crumpled it in her fist.
She did not tell Leo.
She knew exactly what he would do.
She told Mateo instead.
He was not calmer.
“Who touched your locker?”
“Staff come through here all day.”
“Security footage?”
“Laundry hall camera has been broken for a week.”
Mateo’s expression sharpened.
“Since when?”
“Last Thursday.”
He looked toward the ceiling.
“Convenient.”
Beatrice shoved the note into his hand.
“I’m not leaving.”
“I figured.”
“Don’t tell Leo yet.”
“No.”
“Mateo.”
“He needs to know.”
“He’ll remove me from the house.”
“He’ll protect you.”
“By sending me away.”
Mateo said nothing.
Beatrice pointed upstairs.
“If I leave, Lily thinks she caused it.”
“That’s not your responsibility.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No.”
He lowered his voice.
“It’s Leo’s.”
Beatrice looked down.
“Leo already lost his wife.”
Mateo’s face softened slightly.
“And?”
“He’s terrified every person Lily loves becomes someone he can lose.”
Mateo stared at her for a long moment.
“You understand him more than you should.”
Beatrice ignored that.
“Give me twenty-four hours.”
“For what?”
“To watch Victoria.”
Mateo laughed once.
“Absolutely not.”
“You said invisible people see things.”
“I never said that.”
“You were thinking it.”
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
He reluctantly folded the note into an evidence bag.
“Twenty-four hours.”
Beatrice nodded.
Then Mateo pointed at her.
“You do nothing alone.”
“Fine.”
“I mean it.”
“Fine.”
He muttered something in Spanish and left.
That evening, Victoria hosted a small dinner.
Six guests.
Expensive wine.
A string quartet in the music room.
Beatrice served quietly.
Victoria treated her as though the warning note had never existed.
During dessert, Beatrice noticed Victoria repeatedly checking the grandfather clock.
9:15.
9:22.
9:27.
At 9:30, Victoria excused herself.
Beatrice waited thirty seconds.
Then followed.
Victoria crossed the east hallway.
Instead of going upstairs, she entered Sofia’s old study.
Beatrice’s heart started pounding.
The room had been locked since Sofia’s death.
Only Leo carried the key.
Or so everyone believed.
Beatrice moved closer.
The door remained slightly open.
Victoria was speaking on the phone.
“You were supposed to handle Price before he panicked.”
A man answered, too quiet for Beatrice to recognize.
Victoria hissed.
“No, I don’t care where he is.”
Pause.
“The maid is worse.”
Beatrice’s stomach tightened.
“She has Lily remembering things.”
Another pause.
Victoria turned toward the door.
Beatrice ducked behind a marble column.
“I’ll take care of Beatrice myself.”
Silence.
Then Victoria laughed softly.
“No.”
“I won’t kill her.”
Beatrice stopped breathing.
“That would make Leo curious.”
Another pause.
“I’ll make him stop trusting her.”
Victoria ended the call.
Beatrice hurried silently toward the service stairs.
She had almost reached them when someone grabbed her arm.
She spun.
A kitchen porter named Eric stood there.
He looked terrified.
“Miss Miller.”
“What are you doing?”
He released her.
“You need to leave.”
“I’m working.”
“No.”
He glanced toward Sofia’s study.
“Leave the estate.”
Beatrice stared at him.
“Why?”
Eric swallowed.
“Because I put that note in your locker.”
Her face changed.
“You?”
“He paid me.”
“Who?”
Eric opened his mouth.
A sharp crash came from the study.
He flinched.
Beatrice grabbed his sleeve.
“Who paid you?”
Eric whispered.
“Mr. Kensington.”
Victoria’s father.
Then his eyes moved past Beatrice.
His face went white.
May you like
Victoria stood at the end of the hallway.
Smiling.
