Chapter 15 - THE SONG BEFORE THE THREATThe missing person was not family.
Her name was Victoria Lane.
She served as Nathaniel’s executive assistant.
She arrived that afternoon carrying vendor documents.
Security recorded her entrance.
No camera recorded her departure.
When police searched the guest wing, they found her evening coat and handbag.
Victoria had changed into a catering uniform.
She was still inside the castle.
The estate went into lockdown.
Staff gathered in the western hall for identification.
One server was missing.
Victoria’s photograph was distributed to every officer.
Snow woke during the commotion.
He began whistling a short melody.
Four notes.
Pause.
Three notes.
Clara recognized it.
Nathaniel’s ringtone began with three tones.
Dr. Hale’s phone played a classical melody.
Victoria’s ringtone combined both.
Snow had heard all three people during the terrace call.
Then the bird spoke in a woman’s voice.
“Pearl glass before the song.”
The birthday music would cover the sound of a glass being exchanged.
Victoria had been assigned to the audio controls while disguised as catering staff.
The plan depended on the automatic song.
We checked the grand piano console.
Behind it, police found a folded catering uniform and a duplicate castle access badge.
Victoria was moving through staff corridors.
Thomas knew those passages better than anyone.
He directed police toward the old wine cellar exit.
They found her beside a locked exterior gate.
She carried a gift bag.
Inside were:
The forged power of attorney.
A copy of my genuine will.
The pearl decoration removed from the glass.
And Dr. Hale’s second phone.
Victoria surrendered without resistance.
Her attorney later claimed she believed the plan involved financial fraud only.
Messages showed otherwise.
Nathaniel wrote:
After she drinks, no ambulance until Lawrence says so.
Victoria answered:
Understood.
She had managed the schedule.
Disabled the birthday music controls.
Changed the glass.
Prepared to remove evidence.
Nathaniel promised to make her chief operating officer after inheriting the company shares.
Another person converted by promised access.
Victoria agreed to cooperate after learning Nathaniel planned to blame her for the forged documents.
His structure depended on betrayal from the beginning.
The police now had enough evidence to hold everyone.
The castle should have become quiet.
Instead, I requested that the dining hall remain exactly as it was.
Clara stared at me.
“Why?”
“Because we do not yet know whether Rebecca will tell the whole truth.”
My daughter looked wounded.
“I told the police everything.”
“No.”
“What am I hiding?”
“The first version of the will.”
She became pale.
Two forged wills existed.
The one police found made Nathaniel the primary heir.
But Snow had said:
“She signed already.”
Someone believed another document had already been completed.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“There was an earlier version.”
“Where?”
May you like
“In Father’s library.”
The darkest paper had not yet been found.
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