Chapter 7
The Carter estate was a glowing beacon of bright, luminous security lights against the pitch-black night. Emma parked her car half a mile down the private road, walking through the dense, manicured tree line that bordered the property. She knew the blind spots of the security cameras better than the guards did; she had lived here for five years.
She slipped through a side gate near the conservatory, her dark clothing blending into the deep shadows. The air was cool and crisp. She moved silently across the terrace, unlocking the French doors of the sunroom with a hidden spare key Margaret never knew about.
The interior of the mansion was bathed in a soft, elegant nightlight, illuminating the pristine white marble floors. Emma crept silently toward the east wing. The house was dead quiet. Daniel and Vanessa were likely sedated in their rooms, and Margaret would be asleep in the master suite on the opposite side of the house.
Emma reached the guest room in the east wing. She slowly turned the brass knob and pushed the door open.
The room was immaculately clean, glowing faintly from the moonlight spilling through the large windows. The bed was made; the carpets looked freshly vacuumed. Emma dropped to her knees, pulling a small, high-powered UV flashlight from her pocket. She crawled toward the corner of the room, near the heavy marble fireplace.
She flicked the UV light on.
The beam hit the pristine white baseboard. Under the ultraviolet light, a massive, smeared splatter of luminescent blue lit up the corner. It was blood. Someone had scrubbed the surface clean with bleach, but the chemical residue glowed brightly under the UV light, mapping out the exact spot where Sofia’s head had struck the stone.
Emma’s breath hitched. She took out her phone and snapped several high-resolution photos of the glowing residue.
“If she shows Emma those papers...” Vanessa’s voice echoed in Emma’s mind.
Sofia had found something in this room. Emma stood up, her eyes scanning the elegant furnishings. What was hidden here?
She walked to the antique mahogany writing desk in the corner. She pulled open the drawers; they were empty. She ran her hands along the underside of the desk, feeling for a false bottom. Nothing.
She turned to the large, ornate bookshelf. She scanned the leather-bound volumes. Most were decorative, untouched for years. But on the third shelf, one thick book sat slightly out of alignment.
Emma pulled the book down. The pages had been hollowed out. Inside the cavity lay a thick, blue legal folder.
With trembling hands, Emma opened the folder. The bright moonlight illuminated the documents inside. They were bank transfers, offshore account routing numbers, and deeply incriminating emails printed out. It was undeniable proof that Margaret Carter had been embezzling millions from Sofia’s trust fund for years, funneling the money into Daniel’s failing businesses. If these papers were discovered, Margaret and Daniel would face decades in federal prison.
Sofia had been playing in this room. She must have found the hollowed-out book and pulled out the papers, not understanding what they were. Daniel and Vanessa had caught her.
"Find what you were looking for, Emma?" a cold, mocking voice spoke from the doorway.
May you like
Emma whipped around. The bright overhead lights of the guest room suddenly snapped on, blinding her for a fraction of a second.
Standing in the doorway, holding a heavy, suppressed handgun, was Daniel Carter.
