Chapter 6 - The Vault Beneath the House
The silence that followed Officer Miller’s announcement was absolute. Nathanael stared at the police officer, the noise of the cathedral completely shutting out as his mind raced back to the sprawling suburban estate he had shared with Eleanor.
"My house?" Nathanael repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "There is no basement foundation. It's a single-level ranch-style home built on a concrete slab."
Officer Miller grimaced, pulling out his radio to communicate with the tactical unit stationed across town. "That's what the architectural blueprints stated, Mr. Cross. But when federal engineers brought in ground-penetrating radar this morning, they discovered a hidden sub-level beneath the master bedroom suite. A secure vault."
Martha gasped, pressing a trembling hand against her chest. "The panic room... Eleanor had contractors come in six months ago while you were traveling in Europe. She said it was a safety upgrade for Lily."
"It wasn't for safety," Julian shouted from the custody of the backup officers as they led him toward the exit. "It’s where she kept the ledger! Every bribe, every forged signature, and every asset she stripped from your accounts is sitting in that safe!"
Nathanael felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. The house he had bought to provide a safe, loving home for Lily had actually been converted into a fortress of deception by the very woman he had trusted with his life.
"We're going there now," Nathanael said, turning sharply toward the exit.
"Hold on, Mr. Cross," Officer Miller warned, stepping into his path. "You are currently a person of interest in the federal investigation until those logs can be verified. You cannot enter the property without a federal escort."
"I don't care about the escort," Nathanael retorted, his patience wearing thin. "My company is being dismantled, my niece is traumatized, and my house is a crime scene. Let's move."
Leaving Martha and the maid with Lily in the relative safety of the cathedral vestibule, Nathanael accompanied Officer Miller to the unmarked police cruiser waiting outside. The drive through the city streets was a blur of flashing red and blue lights reflecting off the wet pavement.
When they arrived at the suburban estate, federal vehicles crowded the driveway. Yellow police tape blocked off the manicured front lawn where white wedding arches were supposed to have been set up for a post-ceremony reception. Agents in tactical gear carried heavy equipment in and out of the front doors.
As Nathanael stepped out of the cruiser, a senior federal agent with sharp features and a badge clipped to his belt walked down the steps to meet them.
"Mr. Cross?" the agent asked, extending a hand. "I'm Agent Vance—no relation to the suspect in custody. We've secured the ground floor, but we encountered a heavy electronic lock on the sub-level vault. We need your retinal scan and your master passcode to open it."
Nathanael nodded numbly, walking up the front steps of his home. Every memory of the past two years flashed before his eyes—dinners at the kitchen island, quiet evenings working in the study, and Eleanor smiling at him as she poured his evening tea. It had all been an elaborate performance.
They descended into the master bedroom, where a section of the hardwood floor had been cranked open, revealing a steep concrete staircase plunging into darkness. Armed agents stood guard around the opening.
Nathanael descended the steps slowly, his hand brushing against the cold concrete wall. At the bottom stood a massive steel vault door with a glowing biometric scanner.
"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Cross," Agent Vance said, stepping aside.
Nathanael leaned in, aligning his eye with the scanner. The red light blinked, scanned his iris, and flashed a brilliant green. The heavy steel locking mechanisms hissed as they retracted, swinging the thick door inward.
The interior of the vault was lit by harsh white LED strips. Rows of filing cabinets lined the walls, but it was what sat in the center of the room that made Nathanael’s blood run cold.
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Sitting on a steel table in the middle of the vault was a laptop streaming a live video feed of the cathedral they had just left—and the camera was pointed directly at Lily.
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