Chapter 10 - Shadows Behind the Glass
Eleanor’s blood ran cold. She spun around so fast her emerald dress whipped through the humid night air, her black heels slipping slightly on the damp concrete. Standing just inside the open glass sliding door—partially obscured by the heavy velvet drapes of the luxury living room—was a figure holding a second, dry white blanket, watching the entire police investigation unfold with quiet, detached amusement.
It was Sarah, the estate’s elderly accountant, who had supposedly gone home hours before sunset.
“Sarah?” Eleanor breathed out, her voice barely a whisper. “What are you still doing here? You left at six o’clock.”
Sarah stepped slowly out onto the patio, her posture rigid, her hands folded neatly over the clean, dry blanket she carried. She didn’t look like an exhausted bookkeeper; she looked like an executioner stepping up to the block. The flashing lights caught the silver frames of her glasses, hiding her eyes in twin pools of reflection.
“I never left, Eleanor,” Sarah said, her voice calm, steady, and utterly devoid of the warmth she usually projected around the mansion. “Someone had to make sure the accounts were properly settled before the police arrived. And someone had to ensure the baby was safely retrieved from the nursery before the chaos downstairs began.”
Julianne let out a shrill, piercing scream, lunging toward Sarah with her fingernails bared, but the lead officer reacted instantly, grabbing Julianne’s arm and forcing her down onto the concrete with a sharp click of steel handcuffs.
“Get away from her!” Julianne shrieked, thrashing against the pavement. “She took him! Sarah took my baby from his crib while I was sleeping!”
Sarah didn’t flinch as Julianne thrashed and cursed. She simply looked down at the frantic woman with mild pity, then shifted her gaze to Clara, giving the young maid a subtle, almost imperceptible nod of approval.
“Mrs. Thorne, you were never capable of raising that child,” Sarah said evenly, her voice carrying across the quiet patio. “The trust fund was set up to revert to the estate upon the child’s majority, but only if both parents maintained absolute mental stability. When Mr. Thorne failed his financial audits, and you began slipping back into your delusions, the board had to intervene.”
Eleanor stared at Sarah, the terrifying puzzle finally clicking together in her mind. “You’re not an accountant, are you, Sarah? You’re the corporate trustee.”
Sarah smiled faintly, adjusting her silver glasses. “And you, Eleanor, were supposed to stay in your room upstairs. Your curiosity has always been your most fatal flaw.”
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Before Eleanor could take a step toward the exit, the side gate clicked again, and two more officers stepped onto the patio, completely blocking the only way out.
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