Chapter 7 - THE LAST NIGHT OF MARGARET HARTLEY
Elena slapped Adrian.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
He did not defend himself.
“She raised me.”
“She loved me.”
“I know.”
“Then why would she fear me?”
Adrian touched the red mark on his cheek.
“During her final months, she became suspicious of everyone.”
“That is not an answer.”
“She believed someone had been changing her medication.”
Elena remembered Margaret’s final weeks.
Her grandmother had become weak, confused, and frightened.
Doctors blamed her heart condition.
“She accused me?”
“She told me she saw you standing beside her bed with a syringe.”
Elena stepped backward.
“That never happened.”
“I believed you.”
“You kept this from me for two years.”
“I was protecting you.”
Victoria approached them slowly.
“He was protecting himself.”
Adrian glared at her.
Victoria continued.
“Tell Elena where you were the night Grandmother died.”
Elena turned toward her husband.
Adrian looked away.
“You told me you were in Chicago.”
“I came back early.”
“How early?”
“Before midnight.”
Margaret had died at 12:40 in the morning.
Elena had been sleeping in the east wing.
Adrian had claimed he did not arrive until dawn.
“Why did you lie?”
“I heard Grandmother arguing with someone.”
“Who?”
“I could not see.”
“I entered her room after the person left.”
“She was barely conscious.”
Elena’s pulse quickened.
“What did she say?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“She said the house belonged to the wrong woman.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“You understand now.”
Elena ignored her.
“What else did she say?”
“She told me to find the blue ledger.”
“What blue ledger?”
“I never found it.”
Victoria’s face changed.
It was the smallest reaction, but Elena saw it.
Victoria knew about the ledger.
Mason entered the hallway.
“We have confirmation from the hospital.”
“Noah Grant is conscious.”
“He wants to speak with Elena alone.”
Adrian objected.
Mason raised one hand.
“He specifically requested her.”
At the hospital, Noah lay beneath harsh white lights.
A bandage covered the side of his head.
Elena sat beside him.
“Who forced you to shut down the camera?”
Noah reached beneath his blanket.
He removed a small memory card.
“I copied part of the recording before they attacked me.”
Elena accepted it.
“Who were they?”
“I only heard voices.”
“One was Victoria.”
Elena’s fingers tightened around the card.
“And the other?”
Noah looked toward the closed door.
“Your husband.”
Before Elena could speak, the hospital fire alarm began screaming.
Smoke rolled beneath the door.
A nurse shouted from the hallway.
May you like
Noah grabbed Elena’s wrist.
“They are coming back for the memory card.”
