Chapter 6 - The Road Behind the Estate

Adrian insisted on going to the old house himself.

Mason objected, Elena said it was reckless, and Theo begged his father not to leave him behind. In the end, Adrian arranged for Theo to stay with a trusted therapist and two guards at the penthouse, then took Elena and Mason through the back entrance of the estate.

The mansion had been closed since the fire. The east wing was rebuilt, but the old library remained sealed behind plywood and a police notice. Rain tapped against the windows as Mason worked the lock.

Inside, dust covered the furniture. The air smelled of wet wood and old ash. Elena stood at the threshold, suddenly unable to breathe.

"You don't have to go in," Adrian said.

"I do," she replied. "Nora deserves that much."

They found the server rack behind a false panel. Most of the drives had been removed, but one small backup unit remained. Mason connected it to a portable reader.

Mason drew his flashlight. Adrian moved in front of Elena. They searched the second floor and found a service door swinging in the draft. On the floor lay a silver shoe buckle, snapped clean in half.

Elena picked it up with a shaking hand. "I saw this in the hallway that night."

A crash came from the library. They ran back to find the reader smashed and the backup unit gone.

Mason checked the rear exit. "They left less than a minute ago."

A distorted voice crackled through Adrian's phone: "Stop digging. You already lost your wife. Do you want to lose your son, too?"

The line went dead.

They raced for the car. Headlights flashed behind them as they turned onto the narrow road that wound through the estate woods. A black SUV accelerated, struck their rear bumper, and shoved them toward the ditch.

"Hold on!" Mason shouted.

The car spun, slammed into a low stone wall, and stopped with the engine smoking. Elena's shoulder hit the door. Adrian had blood on his forehead, but he was moving.

The SUV stopped a short distance away. Its driver stared at them for a moment, then sped into the rain.

Mason crawled from the wreck and checked the plates through a security app.

"They're registered to a shell company," he said. "One of the foundation's vendors."

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Adrian looked at Elena. "Celeste's vendors?"

Then he said, "Yes, sir. And the contract was approved by my office."