Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Hall
Clara didn't look up immediately. She dipped the cloth into the red-tinted water, wringing it out until her knuckles turned bone-white. ""Just cleaning Mr. Whitfield's blood, sir.""
Julian stepped closer, the expensive leather of his Italian loafers stopping inches from her wet knees. He was taller than Christian, leaner, with predatory gray eyes that missed nothing. He crouched down beside her, his breath smelling faintly of Scotch and mint.
""Tragic accident,"" Julian murmured, tilting his head. ""My brother always had a habit of leaning too far over the railing after a few drinks. You were the first one to reach him, weren't you?""
""I heard the impact from the pantry,"" Clara replied, keeping her voice level and blank, the way the head housekeeper had trained her. ""I ran out. Miss Vance was already on the stairs.""
Julian smiled faintly, reaching out with his left hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Clara forced herself not to flinch. His fingers were cold. ""You’re a good girl, Clara. Loyal. Just remember that memory can be a fickle thing when you’re under stress. People imagine things they didn't really see.""
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He stood up, brushing lint from his slacks. ""Clean it well. We have guests arriving tomorrow for the board meeting. We wouldn't want stains on the family name.""
As Julian walked toward the library, Clara touched the pocket of her apron. The heavy metal of the watch pressed against her hip like a loaded gun. But when she glanced at the grandfather clock in the hall, she noticed something worse: the security camera in the high corner was blinking red. Someone had turned it on.
