Chapter 6 - FIRE IN THE EAST WING
“Everybody out!”
Daniel’s voice thundered through the mansion.
Smoke rolled across the ceiling.
Employees rushed toward the front entrance.
Richard refused to move.
“The safe.”
Nathan grabbed him.
“Forget the safe.”
“There are documents inside.”
“You’re not dying for documents.”
A crash came from upstairs.
Flames exploded through a window.
Emily helped her mother outside.
Then she counted the staff.
Maria.
Daniel.
Richard.
Nathan.
Rosa.
Two guards.
Three housekeepers.
One person was missing.
“Mrs. Parker.”
The elderly house manager.
Emily turned toward the mansion.
Nathan grabbed her.
“No.”
“She’s still inside.”
“Firefighters are coming.”
“She sleeps in the east guest room.”
That room was directly beneath Richard’s office.
Emily ran before anyone could stop her.
Smoke blinded her.
She covered her mouth with her sleeve.
“Mrs. Parker!”
No answer.
She moved through the hallway.
Heat pressed against her skin.
Then she heard coughing.
Mrs. Parker was on the floor near the stairs.
Emily pulled her up.
“I’ve got you.”
“I can’t breathe.”
“Hold onto me.”
They reached the staircase.
A burning beam crashed behind them.
Emily screamed.
Nathan appeared through the smoke.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Helping her.”
He lifted Mrs. Parker.
Together they reached the front doors.
Firefighters arrived seconds later.
Outside, Emily collapsed onto the grass.
Nathan dropped beside her.
“You could have died.”
“So could she.”
“You don’t run into burning buildings.”
Emily coughed.
“You did.”
“I was getting you.”
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
Then Daniel approached.
“We found the entry point.”
A side window had been broken.
Security footage showed Vanessa pouring gasoline near Richard’s office.
But she wasn’t alone.
Marcus was inside.
Police surrounded the property.
The fire was controlled before sunrise.
Most of the east wing survived.
Richard’s office did not.
Everything inside had burned.
Except the evidence Daniel had already copied.
Marcus had failed.
Again.
But the next morning brought worse news.
Thomas Reed’s car had been discovered near an abandoned warehouse.
There was blood inside.
And on the passenger seat, police found a handwritten note.
May you like
Three words.
EMILY KNOWS EVERYTHING.
