Chapter 6: The Maid's Silence
Chloe reached the bottom of the staircase, stopping a few feet away from Sergeant Vance. She kept her head down, refusing to meet anyone's eye, least of all Eleanor’s. The heavy silence in the foyer grew almost unbearable, broken only by the muffled rumble of the ambulance engine idling outside through the thick glass doors.
""What's your name, miss?"" Sergeant Vance asked, pitching his voice low and steady to put the young woman at ease.
""Chloe, sir,"" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the ambient hum of the house.
""Chloe, you were up on the second-story landing when Mrs. Vance fell, correct?"" Vance prompted gently.
Chloe swallowed hard, bobbing her head in a jerky motion. ""Yes, sir. I was... I was bringing up fresh linens for the nursery.""
""Did you see what happened?"" Julian interjected, taking a step forward before checking himself under Vance’s cautionary glare. ""Tell him, Chloe. Tell him what you saw before she fell.""
Chloe’s shoulders hitched in a sharp, involuntary sob. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands twisting the fabric of her apron until her knuckles turned white. ""I... I was behind her. She grabbed her stomach. She screamed. And then the railing... it just gave way. She leaned back against it in pain, and it snapped.""
Eleanor let out a soft, theatrical sigh of vindication, smoothing her skirt once more. ""There you have it, Sergeant. An unfortunate, tragic accident. The girl leaned against a faulty rail during a contraction. End of story. Now, if you'll excuse us, my son needs to get to the hospital to be with his wife.""
Julian stared at Chloe with intense scrutiny, reading the micro-expressions flashing across the young maid’s face. He saw the way her eyes darted toward Eleanor for a split second before answering. He saw the micro-tremor in her jaw. She was hiding something. She hadn't just watched an accident; she knew about the compromised railing, or worse, she had been coerced into silence.
""Chloe,"" Julian said, his voice dangerously soft. ""Look at me.""
The maid slowly raised her head, her tear-filled eyes meeting Julian’s fierce, unyielding gaze.
""Did you see anyone tampering with those brackets this morning?"" Julian asked, ignoring the warning look Sergeant Vance shot him. ""Did someone ask you to wipe down that specific section of the balcony?""
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Chloe’s lips parted, a silent plea hanging in the air. For a horrifying second, it looked as though she might break, might throw off the heavy chains of whatever threat had bound her tongue. But then Eleanor shifted her weight, her dark purple suit rustling with a sharp, metallic whisper. The matriarch didn't say a word; she merely fixed the maid with a cold, piercing stare that carried the weight of a ruined livelihood and silent destruction. Chloe flinched as if struck physically, her resolve crumbling instantly.
""No,"" Chloe choked out, her voice flat and rehearsed. ""I didn't see anything. It was an accident.""
