Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Estate
Roman reached into the dark safe and pulled out the second blue ribbon. He held it up to the dim light, comparing it to the ribbon tied to the brass key in his other hand. Both ribbons were crafted from the exact same vintage silk, faded by years of exposure to sunlight.
"The safe was opened with a biometric code and a physical key, Roman," Marco said, standing near the rain-swept balcony doors. "Only three people in this estate hold those credentials."
Roman slowly turned around to face his attorney.
Graham stood near the library bookshelves, his hands tucked inside his dark suit pockets, trying to maintain his calm, professional demeanor.
"Don't look at me like that, Roman," Graham said defensively. "I have managed your family's legal trust for fifteen years. Why would I steal a ledger from your father's private vault? If I wanted access to those files, I could have requested them legally under my administrative authority."
"That ledger wasn't part of the legal trust, Graham," Roman said softly, stepping closer. "That ledger contained the unredacted names of every political figure, judge, and law enforcement official my father paid off over twenty years. It was never meant to leave this room."
"Then whoever took it knows its value," Graham countered, his eyes darting toward the open balcony. "A rival syndicate—the Morettis or the Vances—could have bribed one of your household staff to slip in here during the meeting."
Roman didn't answer. He turned to Marco. "Where is Sadie?"
"She's downstairs in the sitting room with her mother, Boss," Marco replied.
"Bring them back up here," Roman commanded.
Two minutes later, Megan and Sadie were brought into the private study. Megan looked terrified, her hands clasped nervously over her white apron as her eyes swept over the open wall safe behind the painting.
Sadie, however, walked into the grand room with wide, curious eyes. She held her blue crayon in her small hand, looking at the velvet drapes fluttering in the rain.
Roman dropped to one knee in front of the four-year-old girl, bringing himself down to her height. He held out the brass key with its faded blue ribbon.
"Sadie," Roman said gently, his baritone voice calm and reassuring. "Where did you find the crayon you were looking for under the table?"
Sadie pointed her blue crayon toward the corner of the dining room table in her mind. "It was under the big chair, sir. Beside the shiny shoe."
"Whose shiny shoe, sweetie?" Megan whispered nervously, leaning down beside her daughter.
Sadie pointed her blue crayon straight at Graham Pierce.
"The man with the shiny watch," Sadie said clearly. "He dropped the key when he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket before the meeting started."
Graham’s breath hitched in his throat. He took a sudden step backward, his back hitting the mahogany bookshelf. "She's a child! She's four years old! You're going to take the word of a four-year-old maid's daughter over your legal counsel of fifteen years?"
"Children don't lie about brass keys, Graham," Roman said softly, standing up to his full height, his dark eyes burning with icy resolve.
"Marco," Roman commanded. "Search his private vehicle and his quarters in the guest house."
"Right away, Boss," Marco said, motioning for two guards to take position on either side of Graham.
Before Marco could step out of the study, Sadie walked over to the low coffee table near the fireplace. She picked up a sheet of notepad paper resting beside a brass pen and began scribbling with her blue crayon.
Roman walked over and looked down over her shoulder.
May you like
Sadie was drawing a simple picture: a large car with a dark box hidden inside the trunk, and beside the car was a drawing of a man dropping a blue ribbon into a storm drain near the estate gates.
Roman stared at the four-year-old child's drawing, a cold, calculating realization settling over his chest.
