Chapter 3 - The Library Lockdown
The rain was beating a relentless, punishing rhythm against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the estate library.
Diane Cross sat on a dark leather sofa, holding a cup of lukewarm chamomile tea that she hadn't touched. Across the room, Lily was curled up in a large armchair, her small boots pulled up onto the velvet cushion, her eyes fixed terrified on the heavy brass door lock.
When the lock finally clicked open, Diane jumped to her feet, nearly spilling her tea.
Madeline walked into the room. She was no longer wearing her white wedding gown. She had stripped off the silk and lace in the dressing room, replacing it with her everyday dark wool trousers, a thick cream sweater, and sturdy boots. Her face was pale, but her movements were rigid, calculated, precise.
Behind her came Marcus Vance, holding a sleek black leather briefcase.
"Madeline!" Diane rushed forward, pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. "What happened? Where is Ethan? Outside, people are leaving! The coordinators are packing up the flowers!"
"The wedding is off for today," Madeline said, her voice hollow, devoid of emotion. She stroked Lily’s hair gently. "We are going to the Blackwood estate."
"Blackwood?" Diane gasped, pulling back. "Madeline, that house has been closed since Julia disappeared! It’s in the middle of nowhere! Why on earth would you go there now?"
"Because that’s where the answers are," Madeline said quietly. She looked at Marcus, who stood silently by the door like a silent warden. "Isn't that right, Mr. Vance?"
"It is the safest place for everyone to resolve these private matters away from the press, Mrs. Cross," Marcus said smoothly. "The police are currently at the ravine site near the lake. Ethan needs to be at the Blackwood property to assist the state investigators with property access."
"Two bodies, Mom," Madeline whispered, leaning close to her mother's ear so Lily wouldn't hear. "They found two bodies in Julia's car."
Diane’s eyes widened in horror. She pressed a hand against her mouth to smother a scream. She looked at Marcus, then at her daughter, sudden realization dawning on her. "Madeline... we need to go to the police right now. We need to get in my car and drive straight to the station—"
"Your car has a flat tire, Mrs. Cross," Marcus interrupted gently, pulling a pair of car keys from his pocket and laying them on a side table. "My driver checked the parking lot five minutes ago. A sharp nail in the rear driver’s side. Tragic luck. You’ll all be riding in the corporate SUV with Ethan and myself."
It was a trap, neatly laid and quietly executed. Madeline knew that if she caused a scene in the lobby now, Ethan’s legal team would immediately spin it as a mental health crisis. With his vast wealth and political connections in the county, she would be isolated, her child taken under protective custody, while he controlled the narrative surrounding the bodies in Blackwood.
She needed time. She needed to get into the Blackwood house—the place where Ethan and Julia had lived before her disappearance—and find whatever proof Julia had left behind.
"Lily," Madeline knelt down in front of her daughter. "Do you remember the black box you saw in the room?"
Lily nodded slowly, her bottom lip trembling. "It had a red light on it, Mommy. It was blinking."
"A red light?" Madeline frowned. The recorder Ethan had shown her in the wardrobe had no battery, no lights, no modern digital interface. It was an old analog unit.
"It blinked three times," Lily whispered, leaning in close. "And then the man’s voice said, 'Caleb, the floor under the greenhouse is cracking.'"
Madeline felt a chill run down her spine. The recorder Ethan had shown her was a decoy. The real device—or the real transmitter—was still hidden somewhere else.
"Did you hear anything else, baby?"
Lily shook her head. "Then I bumped the door and screamed."
"You were very brave," Madeline kissed Lily’s forehead warmly. "Now I need you to stay close to Grandma today. Don't touch anything in the big house. Don't talk to Ethan."
"Is Ethan a bad man now?" Lily asked innocently.
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Madeline looked up at Marcus Vance, who was staring at his gold wristwatch, impatience written in every line of his polished face.
"Ethan is a story we need to finish reading," Madeline said softly. "Come on. The car is waiting."
