Chapter 6 - THE EMPTY SAFE
The second message changed the investigation immediately.
Detective Warren ordered both prepaid phones isolated and every person in the mansion searched for additional devices.
The phone recovered from Flora's tote had not sent the new message.
Someone had cloned the number or used a messaging relay to make it appear that way.
Gideon called it technically possible.
Alonzo called it proof that someone had been planning for every discovery.
Portia called it proof of nothing.
Flora stopped listening to Portia.
She was tired of every lie receiving the dignity of an argument.
The county clerk answered the detectives shortly after midnight.
The marriage certificate under Flora's name was genuine as a county record.
The signatures were not necessarily genuine.
The document had been uploaded into an old archive migration batch only four months earlier.
It had been backdated seven years.
Portia's expression tightened when Warren announced it.
Alonzo noticed.
"So the marriage was fabricated this year."
Warren nodded.
"That is what the metadata suggests."
Flora looked directly at Portia.
"Four months ago."
Portia crossed her arms.
"I did not work at the county clerk's office four months ago."
"No one said you did."
"Your face did."
"My face is remembering every time you asked to borrow copies of my identification for wedding paperwork."
Portia's eyes flickered.
Alonzo turned toward Flora.
"When?"
"The venue insurance forms."
She counted them off.
"The foundation guest clearance list."
"The prenuptial file Gideon said needed identity verification."
Gideon looked at her sharply.
"My office asked for identification, yes."
"Who received it?"
"My staff."
"Which staff member?"
He paused.
"I would need to check."
Flora gave a bitter laugh.
"Everyone suddenly needs to check."
Cedric looked at Gideon.
"I want every file your firm has on Flora delivered to the police before sunrise."
Gideon stared back at him.
"You are not in a position to order that."
Cedric's eyebrows lifted.
"I pay your firm."
"Privilege belongs to the client, and there are several clients involved."
"Then consider yourself fired as my personal counsel."
For the first time all night, Gideon looked rattled.
Portia stepped between them.
"Cedric, do not be stupid."
Cedric looked at her.
"You should leave stupidity out of this conversation."
She flinched.
Warren ended the argument.
"Nobody is destroying or moving documents tonight."
He turned to Cedric.
"You mentioned an internal audit Daniel Mercer prepared."
Cedric nodded.
"I kept a partial copy."
Every person in the room focused on him.
Portia's lips parted.
"Where?"
Cedric looked at her.
"You do not get to ask that."
Alonzo stepped closer.
"Where is it?"
Cedric looked toward the old portrait above the fireplace.
"In the west office safe."
Portia went completely still.
Flora saw it.
So did Warren.
The west office was on the second floor of the private wing.
Cedric led the detectives there with Alonzo and Flora behind them.
Portia demanded to come.
Warren allowed it because he wanted to watch her reaction.
Gideon followed as her counsel.
The safe was hidden behind a built-in bookcase panel.
Cedric entered a six-digit code.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
The keypad flashed red.
"Wrong code," Portia said.
Cedric ignored her.
"The code has not changed in eight years."
Warren examined the keypad.
"Who can change it?"
Cedric looked at the small biometric reader below the numbers.
"Me."
"Anyone else?"
He hesitated.
"Security administration can reset it with executive authorization."
Alonzo closed his eyes.
"The same executive credential that disabled the cameras."
Cedric nodded.
The head of security was called upstairs.
He connected a diagnostic device to the safe.
"Code changed at 5:03 p.m."
Flora felt another wave of cold anger.
"During the wedding preparations."
The guard nodded.
"Authorization came through Mr. Vale's credential."
Cedric swore under his breath.
"Open it."
The override took several minutes.
Nobody spoke while the lock cycled.
Portia watched the safe door without blinking.
When it finally opened, Cedric stepped forward.
Then stopped.
The safe was empty.
Not mostly empty.
Completely empty.
Cedric gripped the metal edge.
"No."
Alonzo looked inside.
"What was here?"
"The audit pages."
Cedric's breathing changed.
"Original trust certificates."
"Lenora's foundation seal."
"A key to the archive room."
Gideon exhaled slowly.
"Then someone has taken more than a single page."
Flora looked at him.
"You sound impressed."
Gideon's jaw tightened.
Portia leaned against the wall.
"Or Cedric emptied his own safe and forgot."
Cedric turned on her.
"I opened it three weeks ago."
"You forget things."
"Not this."
Warren raised a hand.
"Nobody touch the safe."
The crime scene team began photographing it.
Flora stepped back into the hall.
She suddenly needed air.
Alonzo followed.
"You okay?"
"No."
She looked at him.
"Someone forged a marriage, opened a bank account, disabled cameras, emptied your father's safe, planted a phone in my room, and framed me with a dead accountant."
Alonzo's face tightened.
"I know."
"And this started before tonight."
"I know."
"Maybe before us."
He looked at her sharply.
"Do not let Portia put that thought in your head."
"Portia does not have to."
Flora pressed both hands against her temples.
"Why me, Alonzo?"
He had no answer.
A small voice came from the stairway.
"Mommy?"
Flora turned.
Maisie stood beside Nora in her socks, still wearing her flower-girl dress.
Her cheek was slightly swollen.
Flora immediately went to her.
"You should be resting."
"I couldn't sleep."
Nora gave Flora an apologetic look.
"She kept asking for you."
Flora held her daughter.
Alonzo knelt beside them.
"We are almost done."
That was a lie, but Maisie nodded anyway.
She reached into the pocket of her dress.
"This is poking me."
She pulled out a small brass key.
Cedric saw it from the office doorway.
His face changed.
"Where did you get that?"
Maisie looked confused.
"I don't know."
Cedric walked closer without touching it.
"That is the archive key."
The hallway went silent.
Portia appeared behind him.
Her eyes settled on Maisie.
"Well."
Flora stood and pulled Maisie behind her.
"Do not start."
Portia lifted both hands.
"I did not say anything."
"Your face did."
Alonzo took the key with a handkerchief.
"Maisie, did anyone put something in your pocket tonight?"
She shook her head.
"Think carefully."
Maisie looked down.
"A lady fixed my bow."
Flora crouched again.
"What lady?"
"The one who works with Aunt Portia."
Portia's eyes narrowed.
"I have many employees."
Maisie pointed toward the ballroom level.
"The lady with the short yellow hair."
Alonzo looked at Portia.
"Evelyn."
Evelyn Ross had been Portia's personal assistant for nine years.
Portia shook her head.
"Evelyn left before dinner."
The head of security checked his radio.
"No, ma'am."
Portia turned.
"What?"
"Her car is still in the staff lot."
Warren immediately ordered a search.
They found Evelyn's coat in the staff cloakroom.
They found her handbag under a chair.
They found her car keys inside it.
They did not find Evelyn.
A service hallway camera had continued recording because it was on a separate system from the ballroom.
At 5:17 p.m., it showed Evelyn entering the flower-girl preparation room.
At 5:19 p.m., she came out alone.
At 5:22 p.m., Maisie came out with her bow neatly retied.
The archive key was already in her pocket.
Portia watched the footage without speaking.
Flora turned toward her.
"Your assistant planted a stolen key on my daughter."
Portia's voice was flat.
"You do not know that."
Alonzo stared at her.
"We just watched her enter the room."
"You did not watch her touch the child."
Maisie began crying quietly.
Flora's anger became something sharper than rage.
"She used my daughter as evidence."
Portia looked at the child.
"Perhaps the girl picked it up herself."
Alonzo stepped forward.
"Her name is Maisie."
Portia's gaze moved to him.
"And she has become very expensive."
Cedric looked disgusted.
"What does that mean?"
Portia smiled faintly.
"Nothing."
Then a guard hurried up the stairs.
"We found Evelyn."
Warren turned.
"Where?"
"In the lower kitchen corridor."
"Bring her up."
The guard hesitated.
"She is gone."
Alonzo frowned.
"You just said you found her."
"We found where she was."
The guard held out a phone.
"This was taped underneath a food cart."
The phone screen showed a photograph taken less than an hour earlier.
Evelyn stood beside a black sedan in the rear service drive.
She looked terrified.
A man's hand rested on her shoulder.
Only the hand and sleeve were visible.
On the man's finger was Cedric's distinctive gold signet ring.
Everyone turned toward Cedric.
His right hand was bare.
Before the search for Evelyn began, Flora took Maisie into a quiet powder room and washed the dried tears from her face.
The faint outline of Portia's hand was still visible on the child's cheek.
Flora had photographed it for the police.
She hated herself for needing the photograph.
Maisie watched her in the mirror.
"Are you mad at me?"
Flora froze.
"Never for breaking a vase."
"Even an expensive one?"
"Not even the most expensive vase in the world."
Maisie leaned against her.
Flora held her tightly.
Behind them, someone passed the powder-room door and paused for one second too long.
May you like
When Flora opened it, the corridor was empty.
