Chapter 3 - BEHIND THE MIRRORI slipped into the narrow, dark cavity of the hidden passage just as Lieutenant Vance of the Miami Fraud Squad breached the guest room. Through the narrow slats of the old wooden paneling, I watched the scene unfold in terrifying high definition.
Lieutenant Vance marched into the room, flanked by two armed officers and—to my utter shock—Harold Bennett himself.
Harold wore a look of theatrical, nauseating concern. He had discarded his golf attire for a tailored suit, playing the role of the dutiful, worried friend to absolute perfection.
"Good lord, Officer," Harold gasped, feigning horror as he looked at the piles of cash and documents. "I knew Edward was hiding something, but this... this is millions in embezzlement funds. It's all right here."
Lieutenant Vance turned his cold gaze toward Rosa, who stood calmly beside the bed, her hands folded quietly over her apron.
"Who are you?" Vance demanded, resting his hand on his holster.
"I am the housekeeper, Officer," Rosa replied steadily, her voice entirely devoid of fear.
"Housekeeper?" Harold sneered, stepping forward. "More like the accomplice. Where is Calloway? Did he run out the back?"
"Mr. Calloway is downstairs," Rosa lied without blinking an eye. "He was waiting for you."
Lieutenant Vance gestured sharply to his men. "Search the entire perimeter. Cuff her for obstruction and possession of stolen assets."
As the officers grabbed Rosa’s wrists, she didn't struggle. Instead, as they dragged her past the hidden paneling where I stood in the dark, she turned her head just a fraction of an inch and whispered so only I could hear:
“Open the ledger on page forty-two.”
They hauled her away, leaving the room swarming with crime scene investigators. I waited until the footsteps faded down the stairs, slipped out of the passage, and locked myself in the master study.
My hands shook as I flicked on the desk lamp, opened the leather-bound ledger, and flipped straight to page forty-two.
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What I saw made my blood run cold.
It wasn't just corporate fraud. It was a murder conspiracy.
