Chapter 1 - The Boy Behind the Locked Door
“She locked me inside!”
Noah Whitmore’s scream nearly disappeared beneath the roar of the collapsing mansion.
Evelyn Brooks crawled across the soaked lawn with the twelve year old boy held tightly against her chest. Her pale blue housekeeper’s uniform was blackened with soot, one sleeve burned almost completely through. Blood ran from a cut above her eyebrow, but she did not stop until they were beyond the reach of the falling embers.
Behind them, the east wing of Whitmore House collapsed.
Windows exploded outward.
Flames rolled across the roof and rose into the Greenwich night.
Noah buried his face against Evelyn’s shoulder.
His pale pajamas were wet from the fire sprinklers. His legs hung motionless beneath the blanket she had wrapped around him. Every breath came in shallow, frightened gasps.
“You’re safe,” Evelyn whispered.
“No,” he said. “She’ll take me back.”
Victoria Whitmore rushed across the lawn.
Her cream evening gown was untouched by smoke. Her blonde hair remained pinned neatly above her shoulders. She looked terrified, but Evelyn noticed that her fear was not directed toward Noah.
It was directed toward what he might say.
“He’s confused,” Victoria announced. “Give him to me.”
She reached for Noah.
Evelyn turned her body and blocked her.
“No.”
Victoria stared at her.
“You are an employee.”
“And he is a child.”
“Give me my stepson.”
Noah tightened his arms around Evelyn’s neck.
“She took my chair.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“He is in shock.”
Evelyn pointed toward the mansion’s front steps.
Noah’s wheelchair stood beside the marble entrance, untouched by flames.
It had been carried downstairs before the fire began.
“Then why was his chair outside while he was locked upstairs?” Evelyn asked.
Charles Whitmore stood several feet away.
The silver haired billionaire had been watching the burning mansion in stunned silence. Until that moment, he seemed unable to understand that his family home was disappearing.
Now he turned slowly toward Victoria.
“What is she talking about?”
Victoria gave a breathless laugh.
“The staff must have moved it during the evacuation.”
“No,” Noah whispered.
Everyone looked at him.
“She took it before dinner.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“You were upset because you were not allowed downstairs.”
“You said I was embarrassing.”
“Noah.”
“You said Grandfather would sell the company if he saw me.”
Charles’s expression changed.
Victoria reached into her clutch.
A brass key slipped between her fingers and fell onto the wet grass.
The head of estate security, Marcus Hale, picked it up.
A small number had been engraved into the metal.
Evelyn recognized it.
“That unlocks Noah’s bedroom.”
Victoria’s composure cracked.
“I carry keys to every room.”
“No,” Marcus said. “Household master keys are silver. This is the private deadbolt key installed last month.”
Charles stared at his daughter in law.
“You ordered a lock placed outside his bedroom?”
“For his safety.”
“Someone locked him inside while the house burned.”
A fire investigator ran from the mansion.
His helmet was black with soot.
“Mr. Whitmore.”
Charles turned.
“The fire started inside the locked bedroom.”
Victoria stepped backward.
Noah’s breathing became faster.
Evelyn held him closer.
The investigator continued.
“We found an accelerant near the bed.”
Charles looked at Victoria.
She shook her head.
“This is insane.”
Noah raised his face from Evelyn’s shoulder.
“She wasn’t alone.”
The lawn fell silent.
Charles crouched in front of him.
“Who was with her?”
Noah looked toward the security team.
Then he whispered a name.
“Marcus.”
The security chief still held the key.
For one second, no one moved.
May you like
Then Marcus reached beneath his jacket.
Continue to the next part: The security chief draws a weapon on the burning lawn, and Evelyn realizes the fire was meant to destroy more than Noah.
