Chapter 2 - THE ROOM BEHIND THE STUDY
Detective Marcus Reed waited until Evelyn's ambulance disappeared through the mansion gates.
Then he turned toward Daniel Whitmore.
“Show me your study.”
Daniel didn't move.
“You don't have a warrant.”
Marcus expected that answer.
He reached inside his coat.
“Actually, I do.”
Daniel stared at the document.
“When did you get that?”
“Six hours ago.”
That was the moment Daniel understood something important.
Tonight had not begun with Evelyn's fall.
Tonight had begun long before Vanessa put her hands on Evelyn.
Marcus walked past him.
Two officers followed.
The Whitmore mansion was enormous.
Dark wood.
Oil paintings.
Antique chandeliers.
Family portraits dating back generations.
Every wall announced money.
Every hallway announced power.
Marcus had investigated men like Daniel before.
They believed expensive walls could keep ugly secrets hidden.
They were usually wrong.
“Detective.”
Daniel followed him.
“My wife has been paranoid lately.”
Marcus kept walking.
“Interesting.”
“Pregnancy has been difficult.”
“Also interesting.”
“She interprets normal things as threats.”
Marcus stopped.
Daniel almost walked into him.
“Your pregnant wife just fell down approximately twenty stairs.”
“I understand that.”
“Do you?”
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“Be careful.”
Marcus smiled slightly.
“That usually works on people, doesn't it?”
“What?”
“The voice.”
Daniel said nothing.
“The quiet threat.”
Marcus continued toward the study.
“I'm not one of your employees.”
They reached the walnut doors.
Marcus opened them.
The study smelled of leather and cedar.
A huge desk dominated the room.
Marcus walked behind it.
Daniel remained near the doorway.
“Evelyn said there was a hidden panel.”
“My wife has an imagination.”
“She said to press the brass rose.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Marcus saw the decorative brass flower carved into the wooden wall.
He pressed it.
Click.
A narrow section of wood opened.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Inside was a black safe.
Marcus looked over his shoulder.
“Still her imagination?”
Daniel said nothing.
An evidence technician photographed everything.
Marcus opened the safe using the combination Evelyn had provided three days earlier.
Inside were folders.
Three passports.
A handgun.
Several encrypted drives.
And a leather-bound ledger.
Marcus lifted it carefully.
The first page contained dates.
Account numbers.
Payments.
Initials.
Marcus recognized several names immediately.
A judge.
A zoning commissioner.
A state senator's aide.
A hospital administrator.
And D.W.
Daniel Whitmore.
Marcus looked up.
“This is going to be a long night.”
Daniel smiled.
“You have no idea what you're looking at.”
“That's why accountants exist.”
An officer entered.
“Detective?”
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
Marcus followed him into the hallway.
“What happened?”
“Vanessa Whitmore is gone.”
Marcus stopped.
“How?”
“Service entrance.”
“Secure the property.”
“Already done.”
“Find her.”
The officer hesitated.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“The housemaid.”
“Rosa?”
“Yes.”
“What about her?”
“She disappeared too.”
Marcus looked toward the front doors.
That didn't make sense.
Rosa had spoken to Evelyn only minutes earlier.
“Search the grounds.”
“Yes, sir.”
Marcus returned to the study.
Daniel was staring at the open safe.
“You knew this was coming.”
Daniel looked at him.
“What?”
“My warrant.”
“No.”
“You emptied something from this safe.”
Daniel laughed.
“You're guessing.”
Marcus pointed toward the dust line.
“There used to be another book here.”
Daniel's smile disappeared.
Marcus leaned closer.
“Where is the second ledger?”
For the first time that night, Daniel looked genuinely afraid.
Meanwhile, fourteen miles away, Evelyn lay inside an emergency examination room.
A fetal monitor beeped beside her.
Her mother, Margaret Carter, had arrived ten minutes earlier.
Margaret held her daughter's hand.
“You could have died.”
“I know.”
“My granddaughter could have died.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me why you stayed in that house.”
Evelyn looked away.
Because leaving earlier would have warned Daniel.
Because she needed proof.
Because three months ago, she had discovered that millions of dollars from the Carter Family Foundation had been moved through companies connected to her husband.
Because two months ago, Vanessa had warned her to stop asking questions.
Because three weeks ago, the brakes on Evelyn's car had mysteriously failed.
And because one week ago, Detective Marcus Reed had told her something she had never expected.
Her father might not have died from natural causes.
Evelyn swallowed.
“I needed to know what happened to Dad.”
Margaret froze.
“What are you talking about?”
Evelyn turned toward her mother.
“Mom…”
“No.”
Margaret stood.
“Don't.”
“Detective Reed found something.”
“I said don't.”
Evelyn stared at her.
Margaret's reaction wasn't grief.
It was fear.
“You know something.”
Margaret looked toward the door.
“Evelyn.”
“You know.”
“Lower your voice.”
“Why?”
Margaret sat again.
Her hands were trembling.
“Your father called me the night before he died.”
Evelyn forgot the pain.
“What did he say?”
“He said he'd made a terrible mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He wouldn't explain.”
Margaret looked at her daughter.
“He said Daniel wasn't the man we thought he was.”
Evelyn's chest tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the next morning your father was dead.”
The monitor beside Evelyn accelerated.
Margaret squeezed her hand.
“And that afternoon Daniel came to see me.”
“What did he want?”
“He knew about the phone call.”
Evelyn stared.
“How?”
“I don't know.”
“What did he say?”
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“He told me grief could make people remember conversations incorrectly.”
Evelyn felt sick.
“That was a threat.”
“I know.”
“You let me marry him.”
“I was afraid.”
“You let me live with him!”
“I thought if I stayed quiet, he'd leave you alone.”
Evelyn pulled her hand away.
“He didn't.”
“I know.”
A doctor entered before Margaret could respond.
“Mrs. Whitmore?”
“Yes?”
“We need to discuss the baby.”
Evelyn immediately forgot everything else.
“What's wrong?”
“The heartbeat is stable.”
Evelyn exhaled.
“But you're having contractions.”
Her stomach tightened.
“How early?”
“Eight weeks.”
“Can you stop them?”
“We're trying.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
The doctor continued.
“The fall caused trauma.”
Evelyn stared at the ceiling.
“Is she going to survive?”
“We're doing everything possible.”
Her phone rang.
Marcus.
Evelyn answered.
“What did you find?”
“The ledger.”
“Good.”
“But Rosa mentioned a second ledger.”
“I know.”
“Did you know about it?”
“No.”
Marcus went quiet.
“Evelyn, there's something else.”
“What?”
“Vanessa disappeared.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Of course she did.”
“And Rosa is missing.”
Evelyn sat upright despite the pain.
“What?”
“Officers are searching.”
“Marcus, Rosa gave me a key.”
“What key?”
“A small brass key.”
“Do you have it?”
Evelyn reached toward the table beside the bed.
Her hand stopped.
The key wasn't there.
She checked beneath her phone.
Nothing.
Her purse.
Nothing.
“It's gone.”
“Who has been in the room?”
“My mother.”
Margaret stared at her.
“The doctor.”
Evelyn looked toward the doorway.
“And Daniel's mother.”
Marcus became silent.
“Evelyn.”
“What?”
“Daniel's mother isn't at the hospital.”
Evelyn slowly looked toward Margaret.
Margaret's face had gone pale.
“What?”
Evelyn whispered.
Margaret stood.
“I thought I saw her outside your room ten minutes ago.”
Evelyn's phone vibrated.
A text message.
Unknown number.
She opened it.
There was a photograph.
Rosa was tied to a chair.
Blood ran from her forehead.
Under the photograph were six words.
GIVE US THE LEDGER OR SHE DIES.
Evelyn stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
This time, it contained a photograph of the missing brass key.
May you like
And one final sentence.
YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNRISE.
