Chapter 2 - SEVEN MISSING MINUTES
Vincent and I had worked together for twelve years.
He knew which doors I locked.
Which doors I pretended not to lock.
He knew Ethan's school route, my travel schedule, and every blind spot on the property.
Now his administrator code had erased the only camera that might show who touched my son's cake.
"Give me your phone," I said.
His jaw tightened.
"Dominic, you know me."
"Then make this easy."
He handed it over.
Detective Maya Torres arrived before the first guest was allowed to leave.
I liked that about her.
She ordered every kitchen employee interviewed separately.
The cake stayed on the floor until crime-scene technicians photographed it.
Ethan refused to leave my side.
Torres pulled me into the security room.
"The deletion covered seven minutes."
"Enough time."
"More than enough."
Vincent pointed to the log.
"My password was used from a terminal inside your study."
"My study was locked."
"Your birthday guests had access to the west hall."
"Not the study."
Torres said, "Who has keys?"
"Me. Vincent. My brother Luca."
That did not help.
Luca Moretti was across the ballroom entertaining three investors when Lily knocked the cake away.
Or at least that was what I remembered.
Torres checked entrance footage.
At 5:41 p.m., one catering employee entered the service corridor wearing a cap low over his face.
At 5:46, the cold-room camera went dark.
At 5:53, it returned.
The employee never appeared again.
"Name?" I asked.
Vincent enlarged the badge.
LUIS MENDEZ.
"That's not Luis."
We all turned.
She pointed at the screen.
"Luis is shorter. And he limps."
"So somebody wore his uniform."
Vincent radioed the staff office.
No answer from Luis.
We searched the estate.
His locker was open.
His street clothes were gone.
Then one of my guards found something beneath the loading dock.
Luis's phone.
The screen was cracked.
There was blood on the case.
May you like
And the last outgoing call had been made twenty minutes before the party.
To Luca Moretti.
