Chapter 2 - The Drawing Beneath the Pillow
Victor crossed the room before the door opened more than three inches.
He pulled it wide.
Mrs. Higgins stood outside.
Her face was pale.
“Mr. Romano.”
Victor looked past her.
The corridor was empty.
“Were you just at this door?”
“I came from downstairs.”
“Did you say Hannah’s name?”
Mrs. Higgins frowned.
“No.”
Hannah felt the skin along her arms tighten.
Someone had been there.
Victor handed the photograph to Mrs. Higgins.
“Lock down the house.”
Her expression changed when she saw it.
“Immediately.”
“No one leaves.”
Mrs. Higgins nodded and disappeared.
Mia had retreated to the bed.
Hannah went to her.
Victor examined the photograph again.
Hannah could now see the writing on the back.
SHE WILL MAKE HER REMEMBER.
Her stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Victor didn’t answer immediately.
“Victor.”
His eyes lifted.
It was the first time Hannah had used his first name.
Neither commented on it.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
His face hardened.
“That’s a dangerous accusation.”
“I’ve spent two years talking to debt collectors. You’re not nearly as scary as you think.”
That almost produced a reaction.
Almost.
Then he looked at Mia.
“I know someone doesn’t want her remembering.”
“Remembering what?”
“The night her parents died.”
Hannah looked toward the child.
“You said it was an explosion.”
“It was.”
“But?”
Victor walked to the window.
“But the official explanation never made sense.”
He told her the part employees didn’t know.
Mia’s parents, Adrian and Elena Romano, had been driving home from a charity dinner. Mia was with them because a babysitter had canceled.
Their vehicle exploded before reaching the estate.
Mia survived because she had dropped a toy and unbuckled herself moments before the blast. The force threw her clear when the rear section of the vehicle ruptured.
Victor had reached the hospital before sunrise.
Mia had been physically injured but conscious.
She had spoken exactly once.
“What did she say?”
Victor’s eyes settled on his sister.
“‘He knew where we were going.’”
Hannah felt cold.
“Who?”
“She never said.”
“And after that?”
“Nothing.”
“Two years?”
“Not one word.”
Hannah thought of Mia whispering her name.
Victor continued.
“Doctors called it trauma-induced mutism. We tried specialists. Therapists. Everything.”
“And eventually someone decided nobody should comfort her?”
Victor’s expression tightened.
“That came later.”
“Why?”
“Because every time someone tried to question her about that night, she became worse.”
“So you stopped questions.”
“Yes.”
“And touching?”
Victor hesitated.
“That wasn’t my rule.”
Hannah stared at him.
“What?”
“I ordered staff not to question her. I never prohibited comforting her.”
The room seemed to become smaller.
Hannah looked toward the hallway.
“Mrs. Higgins specifically told me—”
“I know.”
Victor’s voice had gone quiet.
“That instruction appeared in the staff handbook eighteen months ago.”
“You didn’t put it there?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“That’s what I intend to find out.”
Mia suddenly tugged Hannah’s sleeve.
She pointed toward the wooden box.
Another drawing.
This one showed the car.
Black flames.
Three figures.
And something Hannah almost missed.
A tiny square drawn near the road.
Inside it was the number 17.
Hannah showed Victor.
“Does seventeen mean anything?”
He went completely still.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Gate seventeen.”
“Where?”
“Old service entrance on the north property.”
Hannah looked at Mia.
“Was that near where the accident happened?”
Victor nodded.
“The car exploded less than a mile away.”
Mia began trembling.
Hannah immediately stopped.
“No more tonight.”
Victor seemed ready to argue.
Hannah gave him a look.
To her surprise, he didn’t.
Mia eventually allowed Hannah to help her into bed.
Victor stood awkwardly near the doorway.
When Hannah pulled the blanket up, Mia caught her wrist.
She pointed toward the chair.
“You want me to stay?”
One nod.
Victor looked away.
Hannah sat.
Within twenty minutes, Mia was asleep.
When Hannah stepped into the corridor, Victor was waiting.
“You should go home.”
Hannah nearly laughed.
“I live in the staff wing.”
“Not tonight.”
“Why?”
He showed her the photograph again.
“Because whoever took this knew when you arrived.”
“And sending me outside the estate makes me safer?”
Victor considered that.
“No.”
“Then I’m staying.”
“You’re remarkably difficult to employ.”
“You promoted me after eleven days.”
“That may have been my first mistake.”
“That sounded almost like a joke.”
“It wasn’t.”
“It was close.”
For the first time, Victor Romano smiled.
Barely.
It disappeared immediately.
They went downstairs.
The security office occupied a room behind the main staircase.
A man named Caleb was reviewing camera footage.
Victor entered.
“Anything?”
“Something strange.”
Caleb brought up the west corridor.
At 8:14 p.m., Hannah entered Mia’s room.
At 8:16, the camera froze.
At 8:19, it resumed.
Nobody appeared.
Victor leaned toward the monitor.
“Three minutes missing.”
“Exactly.”
“System failure?”
“No.”
Caleb opened another screen.
“Manual override.”
“From where?”
Caleb hesitated.
“Inside the estate.”
Hannah folded her arms.
“Someone deleted themselves.”
“Yes.”
Victor looked toward Caleb.
“Who has access?”
“Six people.”
“Names.”
Caleb listed them.
Victor.
Mrs. Higgins.
Caleb himself.
Two senior security supervisors.
And—
Caleb stopped.
Victor noticed.
“Finish.”
“Your uncle.”
Hannah looked at Victor.
His expression became unreadable.
“Sebastian?”
Caleb nodded.
“His access was never revoked.”
Victor stepped away.
“Where is he?”
“According to the gate log, he arrived forty minutes ago.”
Hannah’s stomach dropped.
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
Victor looked toward the door.
“Find him.”
Security moved immediately.
Hannah remained.
“Who is Sebastian?”
“My mother’s brother.”
“And?”
“And he was the first person at the hospital the night Mia’s parents died.”
That changed everything.
Victor walked out.
Hannah followed.
They found Sebastian Romano in the conservatory.
He was in his late fifties, elegantly dressed, with silver at his temples and the comfortable expression of a man who had spent decades believing every room belonged to him.
“Victor.”
His gaze moved toward Hannah.
“And this must be the famous maid.”
Hannah stopped.
Victor did too.
“Famous?”
Sebastian smiled.
“Your staff talks.”
Victor didn’t return the smile.
“You arrived forty minutes ago.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“To see my family.”
“At ten at night?”
“I wasn’t aware family required an appointment.”
Victor held up the photograph.
Sebastian’s expression didn’t change.
“Have you seen this?”
“No.”
“Someone left it outside Mia’s room.”
“How disturbing.”
“You have access to the security system.”
“So do you.”
“Three minutes were deleted.”
Sebastian’s smile faded.
“Are you accusing me?”
“I’m asking.”
“No, Victor. You’re doing what you always do. Looking for enemies because grief is easier when someone is responsible.”
Victor stepped closer.
Hannah saw his hand tighten.
She touched his sleeve.
He looked down.
The gesture stopped him.
Sebastian noticed.
That seemed to interest him.
“Remarkable,” he murmured.
“What?” Hannah asked.
“Mia isn’t the only Romano she calms.”
Victor’s eyes turned cold.
“Leave.”
Sebastian smiled again.
“Of course.”
He passed Hannah.
Then paused.
“You should be careful, Miss Brooks.”
Hannah met his gaze.
“About what?”
“Children who survive terrible things sometimes remember them incorrectly.”
Victor turned.
“Sebastian.”
His uncle continued walking.
But Hannah had heard enough.
So had Victor.
Later, Hannah returned to Mia’s room.
The girl was asleep.
Hannah checked the windows.
Locked.
Door.
Locked.
Then she noticed something beneath Mia’s pillow.
Paper.
She carefully pulled it free.
Another drawing.
This one was different.
Mia had drawn Hannah.
Beside her stood Victor.
Between them was Mia.
But behind Victor stood the black-faced figure.
An X covered its chest.
And this time, beneath the figure, Mia had written something.
Not a full sentence.
One word.
Hannah stared at it.
Footsteps approached behind her.
Victor entered.
“What did you find?”
Hannah slowly handed him the page.
Victor read the word.
His face changed.
Because Mia had written a name.
Sebastian.
Then someone knocked three times on the bedroom window.
They were on the second floor.
May you like
Hannah turned.
A shadow stood on the balcony outside...
