Chapter 2: The Officer on Her Payroll
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
The effort sent pain through my ribs.
The officer ignored me and grabbed Thomas by the arm.
Eleanor descended the staircase slowly, every step controlled. By the time she reached the marble floor, the fear had vanished from her face.
The queen of Vance Manor had returned.
“My daughter-in-law is injured,” she said. “And this man was standing over her when we arrived.”
“That’s a lie!” Mrs. Alvarez shouted.
The younger officer near the doorway looked uncertain, but the older one holding Thomas did not hesitate.
His nameplate read Captain Daniel Mercer.
I recognized the name.
Captain Mercer had attended every Vance Foundation fundraiser for the past six years. Eleanor had once joked that she owned half the town and rented the other half whenever necessary.
Until that moment, I had thought she was exaggerating.
“Thomas saved me,” I said. “Eleanor pushed me.”
Mercer glanced at Eleanor.
It was only a second, but I saw it.
Recognition.
Understanding.
An order passing silently between them.
“We’ll sort this out at the station,” Mercer replied.
“No,” Thomas said firmly. “You’ll sort it out here.”
He looked toward the ceiling above the staircase.
“There are cameras.”
Every face turned upward.
Eleanor’s confidence flickered.
The Vance estate had been renovated two months earlier. Nathan—my husband—had ordered new security cameras after someone began leaving anonymous threats outside our bedroom.
Eleanor had called the cameras unnecessary.
Now I understood why.
Captain Mercer released Thomas and walked toward the security office.
“I’ll collect the footage,” he said.
Mrs. Alvarez stepped in front of him.
“You will not enter that room alone.”
Mercer’s jaw tightened.
The paramedics began pushing my stretcher toward the front doors. I reached for Mrs. Alvarez’s hand.
“Protect the recording,” I whispered.
She nodded.
At the hospital, doctors rushed me through a set of double doors. Thomas stayed outside while nurses connected monitors and examined my injuries.
I held my breath until the room filled with a rapid, steady sound.
My baby’s heartbeat.
Tears slipped down my cheeks.
The doctor gave me a cautious smile.
“The baby is alive, Mrs. Vance. But you’ve suffered trauma, and we need to monitor you closely.”
Relief nearly overwhelmed me.
Then my phone vibrated on the bedside table.
A message had arrived from Mrs. Alvarez.
The security room was empty. Someone removed the recording system before the police entered.
May you like
A second message appeared immediately afterward.
And Captain Mercer is gone.
