Chapter 1 - The Key in Her Hand
Grace knelt beneath the ivory staircase while Owen and Liam clung to her uniform and cried into her shoulders.
“You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
The mansion doors opened, and Richard entered in his black velvet tuxedo with Victoria behind him.
“Grace! What happened to my sons?”
His accusation struck before his concern.
Owen looked up through tears.
“Dad, she didn’t scare us. She found us.”
Liam pointed toward Victoria.
“She locked the playroom and left with the key.”
Victoria hid her right hand behind her sapphire gown.
“They are confused, Richard. Children invent stories when employees encourage them.”
Grace held the boys closer.
“I heard them crying and opened the emergency latch.”
Richard’s eyes dropped to the brass key between Victoria’s fingers.
“Then why are you holding it?”
Victoria froze.
She claimed she had locked the door because the twins were misbehaving and needed to learn respect.
Grace’s voice sharpened.
“Locking frightened children in darkness is not discipline. It is cruelty performed by someone who knows the servants will be blamed.”
Victoria glared at her.
“You are paid to manage this house, not lecture the woman who will own it.”
Owen suddenly reached inside his pajama pocket and removed a torn blue envelope.
“Victoria said Mom wrote this before she died.”
Richard recognized his late wife’s handwriting.
May you like
Across the front were four words:
GRACE KNOWS WHO KILLED ME.
