Chapter 5 - BOX 314
Diane Cross denied everything beautifully.
She sat in the private lounge with perfect posture, silver gown untouched, expression almost bored.
“My key card was stolen,” she said.
“When?” Evelyn asked.
“I noticed it missing an hour ago.”
“You didn’t report it.”
“I was hosting donors, not counting plastic cards.”
Lucas stood near the door. Diane glanced at him once, then away.
“You know who he is,” Evelyn said.
“I know he’s the child who caused a scene.”
“He didn’t cause it.”
Diane sighed. “Must we turn every unpleasant moment into a moral crusade?”
Evelyn leaned forward. “Rachel Bennett.”
For the first time, Diane’s face changed.
Only a flicker. But Evelyn saw it.
“What about her?”
“She left Lucas a key to Box 314.”
Diane’s wineglass stopped halfway to her mouth.
Lucas noticed too.
“You know the box,” he said.
Diane looked at him with sudden coldness. “Children should know when to be quiet.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened.
Evelyn stood. “We’re done here.”
They left through the side door.
Marcus had already traced the box number to a private storage vault beneath the old Cross Hotel, three blocks away. The building had been closed for renovation for six months.
At 10:17 p.m., Evelyn, Marcus, and Lucas entered through a service entrance.
“Stay behind me,” Marcus told Lucas.
“You got hit in the head tonight.”
“And I’d prefer not to repeat the experience.”
The basement smelled like dust and wet concrete.
Rows of steel deposit lockers lined the far wall.
Box 314 was near the bottom.
The original brass key was gone, but Marcus produced an emergency master key from hotel operations.
“This is either very lucky,” Evelyn said, “or very stupid.”
“Probably both.”
The lock clicked.
Inside sat a blue leather ledger, a flash drive, and a sealed letter addressed to Evelyn.
Lucas whispered, “My mom did it.”
Evelyn reached for the letter.
A red laser dot appeared on the steel door beside her hand.
Marcus saw it first.
“DOWN!”
He slammed Evelyn and Lucas to the floor.
May you like
A gunshot cracked through the basement.
The light above Box 314 exploded.
