Chapter 6 - The Perfect Concerned Husband.
By noon, Adrian had changed his strategy.
He stopped sending angry messages.
He started sounding worried.
A statement from his attorney described Claire as a beloved wife who had left during an emotional disagreement and might be under the influence of outsiders seeking control of her inheritance.
Claire read it twice on Miriam's tablet.
"He throws me outside with a newborn, then calls himself concerned."
"He wants the argument to become about your judgment instead of his conduct," Miriam said.
Samuel stood at the far end of the room, visibly restraining his anger.
"Then we make it about evidence."
The first useful evidence came from someone Claire had not expected.
Rosa Mendoza, the mansion's longtime housekeeper, called Miriam from a grocery-store parking lot.
Her voice shook.
"Mr. Mercer told everyone not to speak to Mrs. Mercer."
Claire leaned toward the phone.
"Rosa, are you safe?"
"For now."
Rosa said Adrian had ordered the security system disabled before dinner.
He had also instructed staff to pack Claire's duffel bag from a list Evelyn provided.
Rosa refused to touch the confidential folders.
Another employee placed them inside.
"Who?" Miriam asked.
"Mr. Voss."
The room went silent.
Rosa continued.
She had seen Julian Voss leave Adrian's study carrying a metal archive case.
Later, she saw him place the black flash drive beneath Claire's folded sweater.
"Why didn't you stop him?" Claire asked, then immediately regretted the sharpness in her voice.
Rosa answered softly.
"Because Mr. Mercer told us the police would arrest anyone who interfered."
Claire closed her eyes.
Fear had been used on everyone in that house.
"You did the right thing by calling now."
Rosa hesitated.
"There is more."
She had been carrying linens through the upstairs corridor when she heard Adrian and Evelyn arguing inside the nursery two nights earlier.
Evelyn wanted Adrian to file something before Lily's thirtieth day.
Adrian said they needed Claire's signature first.
Evelyn replied that Claire's signature was no longer a problem.
Claire remembered the forged transfer request.
"Did they say anything about the necklace?"
Rosa lowered her voice.
"Miss Cross said, 'Once the board sees Margaret's emerald and the amended record, they will believe me before they believe a woman nobody has heard of.'"
Samuel's expression turned cold.
Evelyn was not merely wearing stolen jewelry.
She intended to use it as visual evidence of a false family history.
Miriam arranged for Rosa to provide a formal statement.
Before ending the call, Rosa added one final detail.
"Mrs. Mercer, the crib was not supposed to break."
Claire looked toward Lily.
"I know."
"Mr. Voss told the groundsman to remove it because it had a brass plate underneath."
Claire frowned.
"What brass plate?"
"I don't know."
After the call, Claire immediately pictured the broken white crib lying on the frosted lawn.
It had belonged to Adrian's grandmother, or so Adrian had always claimed.
But Claire's mother had been strangely emotional the first time she saw it.
Helen had run her fingers beneath the lower rail and whispered, "Some things find their way home."
Claire had forgotten the remark until now.
Samuel called Marcus.
"Get the crib before anyone else does."
Marcus was already moving.
Twenty minutes later, he called back.
The crib was gone.
So was Claire's brown duffel bag from the evidence storage room where Adrian's attorney claimed it had been secured.
Miriam stared at the phone.
"Someone is cleaning up."
Samuel shook his head.
"No."
May you like
He looked at Claire.
"Someone is looking for whatever Helena hid in that crib."
