Chapter 6 - A Knock At Midnight
The muffled rap of knuckles against the side door sounded less like a visitor and more like a warning. Downstairs, the hum of Officer Davis’s voice talking on the kitchen phone paused abruptly. Evelyn froze on the edge of the guest bed, her breath catching in her throat as she heard the heavy deadbolt click.
“Who’s there?” Officer Davis called out, his boots stepping heavily toward the rear entrance. “State your business.”
“Relax, Officer. It’s just me—Marcus,” a smooth, practiced voice replied from the hallway. “Clara let me in through the garage. I’m family.”
Evelyn’s blood ran cold. Marcus. She hadn’t seen her cousin in over a decade, not since he was quietly banished from the family business following an ugly embezzlement scandal that Arthur had somehow managed to sweep under the rug. If Marcus was here, it meant Clara and Richard weren’t just panicking—they were executing a hostile takeover of the house.
Evelyn crept silently to the bedroom door, pressing her ear against the cool wood.
“You’re not on the authorized visitor list for this protective detail,” Officer Davis said, his voice tightening. “I’m going to have to ask you to step outside while I verify your ID.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find my credentials are entirely in order,” Marcus replied smoothly. A heavy thud echoed through the floorboards, followed by the sickening sound of a struggle and a muffled groan.
Evelyn’s heart hammered against her ribs. She twisted the door handle slowly, peering out into the dimly lit hallway. Downstairs, the kitchen light flickered and went entirely dark.
She backed away into the shadows of the bedroom, her eyes scanning the room for an escape route. The fire escape window led down to the side yard, but the latch was rusted shut. Footsteps began to ascend the stairs—slow, deliberate, and heavy.
May you like
As the shadow of a broad-shouldered man fell across the doorway, the floorboard directly beneath Evelyn’s sparkly silver heel gave a loud, unforgiving squeak.
---
