Chapter 5 - The Shoes in the Hall
Some nights he woke screaming about a door that would not open. Other nights he sat upright in bed and stared at the hallway, certain he could hear footsteps outside his room. Therapists had called it a trauma response. Adrian had paid for the best care in the country, but no one had thought to ask what Theo actually remembered.
That night, Elena sat beside his bed in Adrian's penthouse guest room while the city glowed beyond the windows.
"You can tell me anything," she said. "You won't get in trouble."
Theo twisted the corner of his blanket. "I remember Mommy was in her room. She told me to hide under the table. Then the alarm didn't make a sound. I smelled something bad."
"You came in. You picked me up. Then you went back. I heard Mommy call your name."
"I know." His eyes filled again. "I heard a woman say, 'It has to be done tonight.' She was outside Mommy's door. I couldn't see her face. But her shoes were shiny and they clicked when she walked."
Elena went cold. "Did you hear anything else?"
Theo nodded slowly. "Mom said, 'You can't do this to him.' Then something broke. Then the door slammed."
Elena had remembered the silver heels, too. She had tried to describe them to the police, but the detective had told her the house was full of guests and staff that evening. It could have been anyone.
Adrian stood in the doorway, listening. He looked as if every word had taken something from him.
"Theo," he said gently, "why didn't you tell me before?"
The boy's shoulders rose toward his ears. "You said I made it up. You said I was having bad dreams."
Adrian had no answer. He had said it because he could not bear to hear Nora's last minutes described by a child.
Theo studied his face for a long time. Then he leaned into him, but he kept one hand wrapped around Elena's fingers.
"The service corridor camera," he said. "If we find the backup, it may show who went into Nora's wing."
"And if it shows me?" Elena asked. "Celeste will say I started the fire."
"Then I'll stand beside you."
May you like
Elena looked at him carefully. "You said that once before, without saying it. You let me stand alone."
Mason's voice came from the doorway. "We have a problem. Someone just entered the old house. The alarm says they're in the library."
