Chapter 5
The rapping on the library doors stopped, replaced by an eerie, suffocating silence. Grace stood up from the rug, scooping the puppy back into her arms as she walked over to the desk where Julian was frantically plugging the encrypted hard drive into a secure workstation.
“If she has security footage, she can lock us out of the house network,” Grace warned, watching the blinking blue light of the drive interface with the computer.
“She can’t,” Julian replied, his fingers flying across the keyboard with practiced precision. “This terminal operates on a closed-circuit intranet, completely isolated from the main house router. When I built this room, I made sure she couldn’t touch what’s inside these four walls.”
The screen flickered to life, illuminating Julian’s tense face in a harsh blue glow. Lines of code and encrypted file directories scrolled rapidly down the monitor. Julian clicked on a folder labeled Restricted_A.
“Look at this,” Julian breathed, pointing to a series of financial spreadsheets. “She didn’t just siphon money. She liquidated my mother’s estate trust last month—the trust fund dedicated to the community children's hospital. Every single dime.”
Grace stepped closer, her shoulder brushing against Julian’s arm. The proximity was a grounding force in the chaotic room. On the screen, official-looking documents bore forged signatures—Julian’s signature, replicated with terrifying accuracy.
“She needed a scapegoat,” Grace realized aloud. “That’s why she hired me. Someone with no connections, no family wealth, someone who could easily be blamed when the embezzlement finally came to light.”
“And the puppy?” Julian asked, glancing down at the golden retriever resting peacefully against Grace’s chest.
“He was just exploring,” Grace said softly, a faint smile touching her lips. “He dug up the loose floorboard in the conservatory because he heard something clicking beneath it. A metal lockbox she must have dropped during one of her late-night phone calls.”
A sudden, jarring sound interrupted them. A low grinding noise vibrated through the floorboards beneath their feet. Julian whipped his head around toward the hidden alcove.
“What is that?” Grace asked, her breath catching.
“The ventilation shaft,” Julian said, his eyes narrowing. “It connects the library directly to the master suite upstairs.”
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Before Julian could move toward the alcove, the metal grate at the back of the hidden room clattered to the floor with a loud metallic crash. A plume of white smoke billowed out from the darkness, carrying a sharp, chemical scent that made Julian cough violently.
“Halon gas,” Julian choked out, grabbing Grace’s arm. “She’s flooding the room!”
