Chapter 7 - The Photograph
Mara grabbed the photograph.
It showed her under a red awning, looking directly toward the camera.
Date stamped three months earlier.
“Where did you get this?”
Celeste folded her arms. “You tell us.”
Mara remembered the day.
Nora’s college interview had been two blocks away. Mara had waited outside a coffee shop while Nora changed shoes in the restroom.
She had never known Julian was nearby.
“I was there with my sister.”
“Convenient.”
Julian took the photo from her.
“Who took it?”
Celeste shrugged. “A private investigator.”
“You had her followed?”
“I became concerned after I recognized her on staff.”
Mara laughed. “You recognized me the first day.”
Celeste ignored her.
“She has a history with me. A theft accusation. An obsession. Then she appears in your home.”
“I applied through an agency,” Mara said. “They assigned me here.”
Brent spoke quietly. “That’s true. Domestic staffing handled placement.”
Celeste shot him a look that could cut stone.
Julian noticed.
“So the photo proves she stood on a sidewalk.”
“It proves she was near us.”
“In Manhattan?” Rachel said. “Half the city is near us.”
Celeste’s control slipped.
“You all want me to be the villain because she tells a sad story.”
“No,” Julian said. “I want to know why you paid my security chief to blind a camera.”
Celeste grabbed her purse.
“I’m done with this.”
Julian blocked the doorway.
“You are not leaving with possible evidence.”
Her eyes widened.
“You’re serious.”
“Very.”
A knock hit the door.
One of the housekeepers, Mrs. Alvarez, stood outside.
Her face was pale.
“Mr. Vale, I’m sorry. I think you need to see something.”
She held a small black trash bag.
Inside was the ivory scarf Mara had worn.
One corner was stained with lipstick.
Celeste’s lipstick.
“That proves she touched the scarf,” Celeste said quickly. “I gave it to her.”
Mrs. Alvarez shook her head.
“That’s not all.”
She reached in and pulled out a tiny plastic sleeve.
Inside was a jewelry clasp.
The broken clasp from Celeste’s diamond necklace.
Julian looked at Celeste.
Mara looked at Mrs. Alvarez.
“Where did you find that?”
“In Miss Ashford’s bathroom trash.”
Celeste went white.
Then every phone in the security room rang at once.
Mara looked down.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
May you like
She answered.
A distorted voice whispered, “Walk away tonight, or your sister loses more than tuition.”
