Chapter 6 - The Room Behind the East Wall
Back at Blackridge, Roman locked the study door.
Ethan remained outside.
It was the first time in fourteen years Roman had deliberately excluded him.
Claire placed her mother’s photograph on the desk.
Roman studied it.
“Tell me exactly what the letter said.”
She did.
Every word.
When she reached the warning about the person who always arrived already knowing what happened, Roman’s expression did not change.
But Claire had begun to recognize the small signs.
His thumb stopped against the edge of the desk.
His breathing slowed.
His gaze became unnaturally steady.
“You think it means Ethan.”
“I think my mother wanted me to question anyone who seemed too informed.”
“Ethan qualifies.”
“So do you.”
Roman looked at her.
She held his gaze.
“Your father knew my mother. Your security chief investigated her death. Marcus brought me into this house. You own the house.”
“And you’re still standing here.”
“That works in your favor.”
Roman almost smiled.
Claire continued.
“What did Ethan tell you at the station?”
“That he followed a suspicious man.”
“Did he describe him?”
“No.”
“Convenient.”
Roman walked toward the fireplace.
“Ethan has had opportunities to kill me for fourteen years.”
“Maybe killing you was never the goal.”
Roman turned.
“Then what is?”
“The ledger.”
That was the problem.
Nobody knew where it was.
Roman returned to the underground archive.
This time only Claire came with him.
They searched Vincent’s files for hours.
Bank records.
Property deeds.
Old contracts.
Photographs.
Nothing explicitly identified a ledger.
Near midnight Claire sat on the floor between boxes.
Roman handed her coffee.
“You look terrible.”
She accepted the cup.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“That was not a compliment.”
“I know.”
She drank.
Roman sat opposite her.
For a man with a reputation that frightened half of Blackridge, he looked unexpectedly human sitting on the dusty floor with his sleeves rolled up.
Claire noticed the tattoo along his forearm.
“You never talk about your father.”
“There’s rarely a reason.”
“Was he cruel?”
Roman thought.
“No.”
“That answer surprised you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because for years I found it easier to remember the things he did wrong.”
Claire waited.
“He loved my mother. After she died, he became… harder.”
“How old were you?”
“Twelve.”
“I’m sorry.”
Roman looked at her.
“My father believed love created vulnerabilities.”
“That seems lonely.”
“It was.”
“Do you believe that?”
Roman’s gaze dropped to her bruised wrist.
“Tonight has not strengthened the opposing argument.”
Claire laughed softly.
Then she noticed something behind him.
“Roman.”
“What?”
“That wall.”
She stood.
The underground archive had four stone walls.
But one section behind Vincent’s desk sounded hollow when Claire tapped it.
Roman joined her.
They moved the desk.
Behind it was a narrow seam.
No handle.
No keyhole.
Claire ran her fingers along the molding.
Something clicked.
The stone panel opened.
Roman stared at her.
“How did you do that?”
“Housekeeper.”
Inside was a tiny room.
One chair.
One shelf.
One old projector.
And dozens of film reels.
Roman picked one up.
Labels contained dates spanning twenty years.
Claire found a projector bulb that still worked.
They loaded the newest reel.
Grainy footage appeared on the wall.
Vincent Vale sat at his desk.
Across from him was Gabriel Kane.
The timestamp was two months before Northbridge.
They could not hear audio.
Only see.
Gabriel slammed a folder onto the table.
Vincent stood.
They argued.
Then Ethan Mercer entered.
Claire leaned closer.
Ethan stepped between them.
He spoke calmly.
Vincent looked at the folder.
Gabriel walked out.
The next reel was dated three days later.
Marcus Reed entered.
Handed Ethan something.
Money.
Roman’s expression changed.
Claire whispered, “Ethan paid Marcus.”
Roman said nothing.
The next film showed Evelyn Bennett.
Claire stopped breathing.
Her mother entered Vincent’s office carrying a ledger.
Vincent closed the curtains.
They spoke for nearly an hour.
At the end Evelyn removed several pages.
Vincent allowed her.
Then Ethan appeared unexpectedly at the door.
Evelyn immediately concealed the pages beneath her coat.
Claire covered her mouth.
Roman rewound.
Again.
Ethan had seen her.
Maybe not the pages.
But enough to know she had been meeting Vincent secretly.
The final reel was labeled with the date Evelyn died.
Roman loaded it.
Vincent sat alone.
Agitated.
He checked the clock repeatedly.
Then the office door opened.
Someone entered.
The camera angle showed only part of the person.
Dark coat.
Male.
Vincent stood.
The man placed something on the desk.
A photograph.
Roman paused the image.
It was Evelyn’s wrecked vehicle.
Claire stepped backward.
“No.”
Roman looked at her.
She stared at the frozen image.
Her mother’s car.
Photographed immediately after the crash.
Before Vincent could possibly have received official notification.
The man who brought it knew Evelyn was dead.
Roman advanced one frame.
A hand entered the picture.
A familiar ring.
Silver.
Black stone.
Roman had seen it thousands of times.
Claire whispered, “Whose ring is that?”
Roman’s throat tightened.
“Ethan’s.”
They heard movement outside the hidden room.
Roman killed the projector.
Darkness.
Claire’s hand found his.
Footsteps entered the archive.
Someone moved toward Vincent’s desk.
Then Ethan Mercer’s voice called quietly:
“Roman?”
Roman did not answer.
“Claire?”
Silence.
Ethan moved closer.
Roman whispered in Claire’s ear.
“Stay behind me.”
The hidden panel began to open.
Roman prepared himself.
But when Ethan appeared, he was not holding a weapon.
He was bleeding from the forehead.
He stumbled into the room.
Roman caught him.
Ethan collapsed against the wall.
“Marcus,” he gasped.
Roman lowered him carefully.
“What happened?”
“He’s alive.”
“Who?”
“Marcus.”
Claire stared.
Ethan grabbed Roman’s jacket.
“He’s inside the house.”
“We knew that.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No. You don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Marcus isn’t working for Gabriel.”
Roman froze.
Ethan’s breathing became ragged.
“He’s hunting him.”
“Why?”
Ethan looked at Claire.
“Because Gabriel Kane is the only person left alive who can prove Marcus Reed killed Evelyn Bennett.”
Claire’s face went white.
Then every light in the underground archive turned on.
A voice came through the old ceiling speaker.
“Very good, Ethan.”
Roman looked upward.
The voice belonged to Marcus Reed.
“You finally told them.”
A mechanical lock engaged behind them.
They were trapped.
And Marcus laughed softly through the speaker.
May you like
“Now tell Claire what you did next.”
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