Chapter 3 - THE BALCONY
Ethan did not wait for Grant to lead him.
He took the service stairs two at a time, with one police officer behind him and Elena following despite his order to stay with Noah. She knew the ballroom better than either man. For three years she had cleaned the Vale estate after parties, and she knew which stairwell reached the balcony without crossing the public hall.
At the top, she caught Ethan’s sleeve.
“Don’t step out yet.”
A narrow strip of black tape crossed the balcony floor. It marked a spot with a clear view of the dessert table below. On the railing sat a folded program, weighted by a silver coin.
Ethan picked up the program.
Inside was a photograph of him standing at Noah’s fourth birthday party. A red circle had been drawn around his head.
The police officer called for backup.
Elena looked over the railing. From that spot, anyone standing beside Noah would have been plainly visible. A slim black case lay behind a potted palm. The officer stopped Ethan from touching it and opened it with gloved hands.
Inside was a camera with a long lens.
“No weapon,” the officer said.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Then why mark the floor?”
Elena spotted a cable running from the camera case along the baseboard. It disappeared behind a decorative panel. The officer followed it and found a small trigger connected to the overhead lighting rig.
A heavy crystal chandelier hung directly above the place Ethan had rushed to reach his son.
The officer radioed the ballroom. “Keep everyone clear of the center floor.”
Downstairs, voices rose. Ethan gripped the balcony rail so hard his knuckles went pale.
“He wanted me beneath it,” he said.
“Elena?” Noah’s voice called from the stairwell.
She spun. He was halfway up, still wearing his little blue birthday jacket. Vivian Vale, his grandmother, hurried after him.
“I told him to stay downstairs,” Vivian said, breathless. “He wouldn’t listen.”
Noah crossed the landing and took Elena’s hand. “Uncle Julian is gone.”
Ethan stared at him. “Gone where?”
“He went through the kitchen. I saw him while the police were talking.”
Ethan called Grant. There was no answer.
The officer’s radio crackled. A guard at the front gate reported that Julian’s car was still parked outside.
Elena felt Noah’s hand tighten around hers.
May you like
“He didn’t leave,” the boy whispered. “He took my red backpack.”
Inside that backpack was the one thing Noah carried everywhere: a small camera he had received that morning.
