Chapter 7 - Someone Inside the Walls
Owen pulled Lily from the nursery before Adrian finished reading the message.
Marcus shut the door.
Security officers spread through the second floor.
Adrian stared at the photograph on his phone.
The angle was low.
Too low for the ceiling cameras.
It appeared to come from the bookshelf.
Owen returned carrying a scanning device.
“Everyone out.”
Adrian stayed.
Owen moved across the room slowly.
The scanner chirped near a row of children’s books.
Marcus removed them.
Behind the shelf sat a camera no larger than a button.
A thin wire disappeared through the wall.
Adrian’s face hardened.
“How long has that been there?”
Owen examined it.
“Could be years.”
“Trace it.”
They followed the wire into the maintenance passage.
It joined an old low-voltage network.
Dozens of forgotten lines ran throughout the estate.
The Vale mansion had been built in stages over nearly a century.
Previous owners had added servant corridors, concealed wiring channels and emergency passages.
Adrian had known about some.
He had not known how many.
“Where does the signal go?”
Owen checked the junction.
“Multiple possible endpoints.”
“How many?”
“Sixteen.”
Adrian swore quietly.
Marcus’s radio sounded.
“Vehicle approaching.”
“Who?”
“Julian Price.”
Adrian looked at Claire’s letter.
DO NOT LET JULIAN BECOME HER GUARDIAN.
“Let him in.”
Owen stared.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Adrian folded the letter.
“I want to hear what he lies about.”
Julian Price entered the library fifteen minutes later.
He was fifty-two.
Silver touched his temples.
His navy overcoat was wet from the rain.
He looked enough like Claire around the eyes that Adrian still disliked seeing him unexpectedly.
Julian had cried harder than anyone at Claire’s funeral.
He had held Lily for nearly an hour.
He had told Adrian they were still family.
Now Adrian wondered how many of those gestures had been real.
Julian saw the police.
“What happened?”
Adrian poured himself water.
“Why are you here?”
“Conrad called.”
“Everyone seems to get calls from Conrad.”
“He said there was trouble involving Lily.”
“Did he tell you what kind?”
“No.”
Julian studied him.
“What happened?”
Adrian remained silent.
Julian’s concern appeared genuine.
“Where is my niece?”
“Safe.”
“Can I see her?”
“No.”
Julian frowned.
“Why?”
Adrian placed a copy of Claire’s trust on the table.
“What happens in nineteen days?”
Julian looked at it.
“Her birthday.”
“What else?”
Recognition flickered.
Adrian caught it.
“You know.”
Julian sat.
“Claire’s audit provision.”
“You never mentioned it.”
“It was not relevant until now.”
“Someone disagrees.”
Julian’s expression tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“Millions disappeared from Claire’s foundation.”
Julian’s face went still.
“Who told you that?”
“Claire.”
Julian almost smiled.
“My sister has been dead for three years.”
“She planned ahead.”
The smile vanished.
Adrian placed Claire’s letter on the table.
He had photocopied it.
The original remained locked elsewhere.
Julian read it.
His face changed line by line.
When he reached his own name, he stopped.
DO NOT LET JULIAN BECOME HER GUARDIAN.
He looked up.
“I can explain.”
“Of course you can.”
“Claire and I fought before she died.”
“About what?”
“The foundation.”
“The missing money?”
Julian hesitated.
Adrian leaned forward.
“Do not waste my time.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Initially?”
Adrian stared.
Julian looked away.
“Twenty-eight million.”
Adrian felt anger rising.
“Twenty-eight million dollars disappeared and you never told me?”
“We recovered some.”
“How?”
“Insurance.”
“That does not answer me.”
Julian rubbed his face.
“The money went through medical outreach contracts.”
“Signed by whom?”
“Several people.”
“Names.”
“Sebastian Laurent.”
Adrian waited.
“Conrad Hale.”
Another pause.
“And me.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“You signed fraudulent transfers.”
“I signed grants.”
“You did not verify them.”
“I trusted the financial team.”
“Claire did not.”
“No.”
Julian looked at the letter.
“She accused me of stealing.”
“Were you?”
“No.”
“Then why was she afraid you would become Lily’s guardian?”
Julian stared at him.
“Because I threatened to have her declared unstable.”
The words landed heavily.
Adrian said nothing.
Julian continued.
“Claire became obsessed with the foundation accounts.”
“Maybe because someone was stealing from them.”
“I know that now.”
“You thought she was imagining it?”
“She stopped sleeping.”
“Someone was changing her medication.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You threatened her anyway.”
“Yes.”
Adrian walked toward the window.
He wanted to hate Julian simply.
It would have been easier.
But Julian’s shame did not look like triumph.
“What happened the night she died?”
Julian’s breathing changed.
Adrian turned.
“You saw her.”
Julian looked at the floor.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“At the foundation office.”
“What time?”
“Around six.”
“What did she say?”
“That Marianne Sloan had proof.”
“What proof?”
“Financial ledgers.”
“Did she show you?”
“No.”
“She asked me to come with her.”
“To meet Marianne?”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“I was angry.”
His voice cracked.
“She had spent weeks accusing me.”
“And you let her leave alone.”
“I told her if she wanted to ruin the family, she could do it without me.”
Julian covered his face briefly.
“Those were the last words I ever said to my sister.”
Silence stretched between them.
Adrian finally spoke.
“Was Sebastian alive after Claire died?”
Julian lifted his head.
“Yes.”
Adrian’s pulse increased.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“You told me he died abroad.”
“That is what Conrad told me.”
“When?”
“About eight months after Claire.”
“Did you see a body?”
“No.”
“Death certificate?”
“Conrad handled it.”
Adrian’s anger returned.
“You control the foundation and yet Conrad seems to handle every secret.”
Julian looked at him.
“That is because Claire trusted Conrad before she stopped trusting me.”
Adrian frowned.
“What changed?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think.”
Julian hesitated.
“There was a meeting.”
“What meeting?”
“Claire called Conrad into her office.”
“When?”
“Two weeks before she died.”
“What happened?”
“I heard shouting.”
“What did she say?”
“Only one sentence clearly.”
Adrian waited.
Julian looked directly at him.
“She said, ‘You were supposed to protect him, not become him.’”
“Protect who?”
“I assumed she meant Sebastian.”
Adrian thought of the photograph.
Claire.
Marianne.
Sebastian.
Conrad.
One of these men is going to kill me.
A security alarm sounded.
Owen entered.
“We found the camera receiver.”
“Where?”
“Conrad’s old office.”
Julian stood.
“Conrad has an office here?”
“He did when Claire was alive.”
Adrian followed Owen.
The room had been locked for years.
Inside, behind a false cabinet panel, they found a small recording station.
Six camera feeds appeared.
The nursery.
The east hall.
The medication room.
The garage.
The kitchen.
And Lily’s current bedroom.
Adrian stared at the screens.
Someone had been watching his daughter sleep.
Marcus disconnected the network.
Owen opened the storage directory.
“Most files auto-delete.”
“Most?”
“One was manually saved.”
“Play it.”
The video loaded.
Claire appeared.
The date was three days before her death.
She entered the medication room.
Conrad followed.
Adrian felt his pulse jump.
There was no audio at first.
Then the microphone activated.
Claire turned toward Conrad.
“You promised me Sebastian was out.”
“He is.”
“No.”
Claire held up a document.
“He signed another transfer yesterday.”
Conrad stared at it.
“That is impossible.”
“Then explain his signature.”
“I can’t.”
Claire stepped closer.
“And explain yours.”
Conrad’s face became white.
The video froze.
Owen cursed.
“What happened?”
“File corruption.”
“Recover it.”
“I’m trying.”
The image resumed three seconds later.
Claire stood near the door.
Conrad looked furious.
“You have no idea what you are doing.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“If you expose this, Adrian loses everything.”
“No.”
Claire’s voice was steady.
“You lose everything.”
The recording ended.
Everyone remained silent.
Julian whispered.
“Jesus.”
Adrian turned toward him.
“You never saw this?”
“No.”
Owen checked the file data.
“Someone accessed it today.”
Adrian frowned.
“What time?”
“Six fourteen this morning.”
“From where?”
Owen traced the connection.
His face changed.
“What?”
“External connection.”
“Location?”
“Vale Tower.”
Adrian stared.
His company headquarters.
Owen narrowed it.
“Thirty-seventh floor.”
Adrian knew exactly what was on that floor.
Conrad Hale’s office.
A phone rang behind them.
Julian reached into his pocket.
His screen showed UNKNOWN.
Adrian motioned for him to answer on speaker.
Julian did.
“Hello?”
A distorted male voice spoke.
“You should not have gone to the house.”
Julian’s face drained.
Adrian remained silent.
The voice continued.
“Tell Adrian the audit stops today.”
Julian looked at Adrian.
“Who is this?”
“You know.”
“No, I don’t.”
The caller laughed quietly.
“Then ask your sister.”
The line disconnected.
Owen immediately began tracing.
Adrian looked at Julian.
“What have you not told me?”
Julian’s eyes filled with fear.
“I thought he was dead.”
“Who?”
Julian whispered.
“Sebastian.”
Adrian’s phone buzzed.
Another photograph arrived.
This one showed Lily through the window of the safe room.
Beneath it was a message.
May you like
NINETEEN DAYS IS TOO LONG.
WE ONLY NEED ONE.
