Chapter 1 - THE BRACELET IN MY DRAWER
“Search her room.”
Celeste said it with blood still bright against her lower lip.
Not angry.
Satisfied.
That was what scared me.
Garrett Harwick looked at her for a long second.
Then at me.
Two security men waited near the staircase.
I could feel the entire staff holding its breath.
Celeste pointed toward the servants’ wing.
“She stole from me.”
“I want everyone to see what she really is.”
I wiped my knuckles against my apron.
“You already know what they’re going to find.”
Her eyes flashed.
“I know exactly what they’re going to find.”
There it was.
Too fast.
Too certain.
Garrett heard it too.
His gaze sharpened.
But he only said.
“Bess.”
The housekeeper stepped forward.
“Yes, sir.”
“You go with them.”
Celeste laughed.
“You don’t trust your own security?”
“I trust witnesses.”
Nobody argued after that.
We walked upstairs.
Bess beside me.
Two guards behind us.
Percy followed at a distance until one of the guards ordered him back.
My room was small.
One bed.
One dresser.
A narrow closet.
My suitcase still sat half unpacked beneath the window.
I had been in that room three nights.
Bess opened the top drawer.
Nothing.
Second drawer.
Nothing.
Then she reached for the third.
I watched Celeste from the doorway.
She wasn’t nervous.
That was how I knew.
Bess pulled the drawer open.
Under two folded black uniforms sat a rose-gold bracelet.
Diamonds.
Custom clasp.
Impossible to miss.
Addie made a frightened sound from the hallway.
Celeste smiled.
“There.”
Bess stared at the bracelet.
Then at me.
Her face had gone gray.
“I didn’t put that there.”
Celeste stepped closer.
“Of course you didn’t.”
I looked at Garrett.
“Check the cameras.”
Celeste’s smile vanished for half a heartbeat.
Then returned.
“The servants’ hallway camera has been malfunctioning all week.”
I looked at her.
“That’s convenient.”
She folded her arms.
“You’re finished.”
One of the guards reached toward me.
Garrett raised a hand.
“No one touches her.”
Celeste turned.
“Garrett.”
He ignored her.
“Bess, when did Laura last leave this room?”
“This morning at six-thirty.”
“And who has master access?”
Bess hesitated.
“Me.”
Garrett waited.
She swallowed.
“And Miss Vane.”
Celeste gave a small laugh.
“So now I planted my own bracelet?”
I answered.
“Yes.”
Her eyes burned.
Garrett turned toward the guard.
“Bring me the security logs.”
Celeste immediately said.
“There won’t be anything.”
Garrett looked at her.
“You seem very sure.”
For the first time, she lost control of her face.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
So did Bess.
The guard returned ten minutes later with a tablet.
The servants’ hallway camera truly had gone offline.
At 8:12 that morning.
But the electronic master-key system had not.
One entry appeared on my door.
8:16 a.m.
MASTER ACCESS.
Garrett asked.
“Whose code?”
The guard looked uncomfortable.
“Miss Vane’s.”
Nobody spoke.
Celeste slowly turned toward him.
“That’s impossible.”
Then another line appeared.
8:19 a.m.
CAMERA SYSTEM MANUAL RESET.
Garrett’s face became stone.
“Whose authorization?”
The guard swallowed.
“Also Miss Vane’s.”
Celeste stepped backward.
Then recovered.
“I went into her room because I suspected her.”
I almost admired the speed of the lie.
Garrett didn’t.
“Before you reported the bracelet missing?”
Celeste said nothing.
The hallway became very quiet.
Then Addie whispered.
“She was upstairs before breakfast.”
Celeste looked at her.
Addie flinched.
That tiny movement said more than any testimony could.
Garrett noticed.
He looked from Addie to Celeste.
May you like
Then he asked one question.
“How many people in this house are afraid of you?”
