Chapter 6 - The Echoes in the Foyer
The soft, low chime of the private elevator override echoed through the penthouse foyer like a death knell.
Julian’s hand froze inches from the hidden compartment inside the grandfather clock. His face went stark white, the penlight trembling in his grip as the mechanical whir of the elevator car drew closer to our floor.
"They shouldn't have the override code," Julian whispered, his breath catching in his throat. "That code was restricted to Arthur and me. Unless..."
"Unless Victoria or Richard forced the estate manager to hand it over before the probate filing," I finished quietly, my fingers tightening around the leather-bound ledger and the microcassette recorder inside the dark recess of the clock.
There was no time to put the false panel back. There was no time to escape through the private service stairwell at the far end of the hallway. The elevator doors clicked open with a sharp, metallic ping, followed immediately by the sound of expensive shoes clicking rapidly across the marble foyer floor.
"Check the master suite first!" Victoria’s voice pierced the quiet expanse of the apartment, sharp and furious. "She couldn't have gotten far. Miller’s office called—she checked out her file three hours ago. She’s here."
I looked at Julian, whose eyes were wide with panic. At seventy-eight years old, I wasn't built to run or fight off greedy relatives in a physical confrontation, but Briarwood Care had taught me one fundamental truth: when you have nothing left to lose, your composure becomes your only weapon.
"Take the ledger and the tape, Julian," I said, sliding the items out of the clock and pressing them firmly into his hands. "Find a way down the service elevator. I'll meet them here."
"I'm not leaving you alone with them, Clara," Julian protested, stepping back.
"You aren't leaving me," I replied, my voice dropping into an icy register that brooked no argument. "You're securing the evidence. Now go."
May you like
Before Julian could answer, heavy footsteps turned the corner of the hallway, and Victoria’s silhouette appeared framed against the dim light of the study entrance.
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