Chapter 1 - Don’t BreatheLuke Mercer was still smiling when the front door slammed downstairs.
THUD.
His smile vanished.
Diane Holloway froze beside him.
For one second, neither of them moved.
They had been standing beside the king-size bed in the master bedroom of Graham Holloway’s Aspen mansion, close enough that Diane could still feel Luke’s breath against her cheek.
Then came the sound of keys.
A coat brushing the downstairs wall.
Footsteps.
Luke looked toward the bedroom door.
“Your husband?”
Diane’s face lost all color.
“He shouldn’t be home yet.”
The footsteps crossed the marble foyer below.
Luke stared at her.
“You said tomorrow.”
“He was supposed to be in Denver.”
Another step.
Closer.
Diane pointed beneath the bed.
“Under there.”
Luke looked at the narrow gap.
“You’re kidding.”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?”
The footsteps reached the upstairs hallway.
Luke moved.
Fast.
But not recklessly.
He stepped to the bedside, dropped to one knee, planted one hand on the floor, turned his shoulder sideways, and slid his upper body beneath the bed.
His white shirt caught briefly on the wooden frame.
He pulled harder.
Elbows against carpet.
Feet pushing.
His hips disappeared.
Then his knees.
Finally his shoes.
Diane bent and lowered the hanging bedcover.
“Don’t move.”
Luke’s face was inches above the carpet.
Dust touched his sleeve.
His heart hammered so hard he was certain Graham would hear it.
Diane stood.
Smoothed her champagne satin nightdress.
Ran both hands through her chestnut hair.
Breathed once.
CLICK.
The handle turned.
Graham Holloway entered.
Fifty-three.
Silver hair.
Charcoal suit.
No suitcase.
No smile.
Diane’s expression changed instantly.
“You’re home early.”
“My meeting was canceled.”
Graham removed his watch.
Set it on the dresser.
Diane forced a laugh.
“I didn’t hear the car.”
“No?”
His eyes rested on her.
Too long.
Under the bed, Luke stared at polished black shoes moving across the carpet.
STEP.
Pause.
STEP.
Graham stopped near the dresser.
Luke forced air through his nose.
Slow.
Silent.
Sweat formed at his temple.
Above him, Diane said:
“Did you eat?”
“No.”
“I could call downstairs.”
“I already sent the staff home.”
Diane froze.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Luke heard it in the silence.
Graham walked again.
His shoes entered Luke’s narrow field of vision.
Closer.
Luke’s fingers pressed into the carpet.
Graham stopped beside the bed.
Directly beside Luke’s face.
Luke swallowed.
The shoes turned slightly.
Then Graham bent.
His shadow filled the space.
Luke’s eyes widened.
Graham’s hand came beneath the hanging bedcover.
Luke stopped breathing.
The hand moved across the carpet.
Closer.
Closer.
Then stopped two inches from Luke’s fingers.
Graham picked something up.
He stood.
Diane said:
“What?”
Silence.
Luke couldn’t see Graham’s face.
Only his shoes.
Then Graham spoke.
“Diane…”
A beat.
“…why is this under the bed?”
Luke closed his eyes.
He knew before Diane did.
His tie clip.
Silver.
Custom-made.
Engraved with two letters.
L.M.
He had removed it earlier because Diane said it scratched her.
Diane looked at the object in Graham’s hand.
For the first time, she had no immediate answer.
Graham turned the tie clip between his fingers.
“L.M.”
Diane found her voice.
“It must belong to one of the staff.”
Graham looked at her.
“Our housekeeper’s name is Rosa Alvarez.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
Graham’s expression remained calm.
“That’s interesting.”
He walked toward the window.
Luke breathed again.
Barely.
Diane said:
“Why?”
Graham looked at the tie clip.
“Because I’ve seen this before.”
Diane’s face tightened.
“Where?”
“On Luke Mercer.”
Under the bed, Luke felt his stomach drop.
Diane laughed.
Too quickly.
“Luke was here yesterday.”
Graham turned.
“Was he?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He brought documents for the foundation gala.”
“What documents?”
“I don’t remember.”
Graham smiled faintly.
“You usually remember everything.”
Diane crossed her arms.
“You came home unexpectedly and now you’re interrogating me over a piece of jewelry?”
“Not jewelry.”
“What?”
“A clue.”
Luke’s eyes opened.
Diane stared at her husband.
“A clue to what?”
Graham placed the tie clip on the dresser.
Then reached into his jacket.
His phone vibrated.
Luke’s own phone vibrated at the exact same moment beneath the bed.
One short buzz.
His entire body locked.
Diane’s eyes snapped toward the floor.
Graham looked at her.
“Did you hear something?”
“No.”
Luke gripped his phone through his trouser pocket.
Do not move.
Graham waited.
Silence.
Then he looked at his own phone.
“I need a shower.”
Diane nodded.
“Of course.”
He walked toward the bathroom.
Luke watched the polished shoes disappear.
The bathroom door closed.
Water began running.
Diane waited five seconds.
Ten.
Then dropped to her knees.
She lifted the bedcover.
Luke stared at her.
“Your phone.”
“I know.”
“Turn it off.”
He pulled it out.
One message.
From Graham Holloway.
Luke’s blood ran cold.
Diane whispered:
“What does it say?”
Luke showed her.
GRAHAM:
We need to talk tonight.
About North Ridge.
And the missing $2.4 million.
Diane stopped breathing.
Luke stared at her.
“You told me he didn’t know.”
Her face changed.
Not fear anymore.
Calculation.
“He wasn’t supposed to.”
Luke whispered:
“What did you do?”
The shower stopped.
Both froze.
And from inside the bathroom, Graham said loudly:
“Diane?”
She stood instantly.
“Yes?”
“Tell Luke he can come out now.”
Silence.
Under the bed, Luke’s face went white.
Graham opened the bathroom door.
He was still fully dressed.
The shower had never been used.
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And in his hand—
he was holding Luke’s second phone.
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