Chapter 5: Securing the Perimeter
Sergeant Vance held up a gloved hand, gesturing to the other responding officer to secure the front entrance. The heavy oak doors swung shut, sealing off the outside world and turning the opulent foyer into an investigative fishbowl. The paramedics wheeled Clara out to the idling ambulance, the red and blue emergency lights painting erratic flashes of crimson and cobalt across the neoclassical molding and marble columns. Julian took a half-step forward to follow them, but Vance stepped into his path, blocking his trajectory with quiet authority.
""Mr. Vance, I need you to stay here for just a moment,"" Vance said, his tone professional yet unexpectedly gentle. ""My team needs to process the scene while it’s fresh. Did you say attempted murder?""
Julian clenched his jaw, feeling the familiar tick in his cheek return with a vengeance. He pointed a steady finger upward, tracing the graceful curve of the grand marble and wrought-iron second-story balcony. ""Look at the railing, Sergeant. The mounting brackets didn't snap because of weight. They were sawed halfway through, then reattached with adhesive. Anyone leaning against that railing with even modest pressure would have sent it flying.""
Eleanor drifted into the conversation like a ghost in a purple shroud, her steps unhurried, her expression a masterclass in injured dignity. ""Sergeant, please. My son-in-law is beside himself with grief and shock. His wife fell during a sudden medical episode. To suggest malicious intent in a house that has stood for four generations without scandal is... frankly, hysterical.""
Vance turned his gaze from Julian to the older woman, studying her with calculating, hooded eyes. ""And you are, ma'am?""
""Eleanor Vance. This is my estate,"" she replied, tilting her chin up just enough to assert her social dominance. ""And I demand to know why my home is being treated like a criminal staging ground because of a tragic medical collapse.""
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""Because, Mrs. Vance, Mr. Vance here just made a formal allegation of foul play, and my job is to investigate every allegation until proven otherwise,"" Vance said evenly, refusing to be intimidated by her title or tone. He signaled to a younger officer hovering near the stairs. ""Officer Davis, secure the second-story landing. Nobody touches that railing. Bring me the maid who was up there.""
Chloe appeared at the top of the stairs almost on cue, descending slowly with her hands clasped tightly in front of her grey and white uniform. Her face was bloodless, her eyes fixed firmly on the tips of her black shoes as she navigated the marble steps. She looked like a prisoner walking to the gallows, her entire frame shaking with an internal terror that made Julian’s earlier suspicions flare back to life.
