Chapter 4 - The Woman With PearlsThe emergency lights came on.
Gabriel was already moving.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
Claire looked at him.
“No.”
He stared.
“I’m not leaving her alone.”
“Then lock the door.”
He disappeared.
Claire locked it.
Lily clung to her.
Outside, security shouted.
Heavy footsteps thundered.
Then silence.
Claire counted.
One.
Two.
Three.
A loud crash.
Lily screamed.
Claire carried her into the bathroom and locked the second door.
“Listen to me,” Claire whispered. “Whatever happens, you stay with me.”
Lily nodded.
The bathroom had no windows.
Good.
Safe.
At least until Claire noticed the tiny ventilation panel above the mirror.
Someone had installed a camera inside it.
Claire's blood ran cold.
The lens reflected the emergency light.
Someone had been watching.
Not recently.
For a long time.
She pulled Lily behind the shower wall.
Minutes passed.
Then Gabriel's voice came through the door.
“Claire.”
She opened it.
Gabriel stood in the hallway, gun lowered.
Two guards were behind him.
“It's clear.”
“What happened?”
“Power failure. Someone cut the secondary line.”
“Were they inside?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“How did they get in?”
“I’m finding out.”
Claire looked at his gun.
“You shot someone?”
“No.”
“Then whose blood is that?”
Gabriel looked at his sleeve.
His expression hardened.
“That isn't mine.”
Claire stepped closer.
There was blood on his cuff.
Fresh.
And underneath it, a small silver thread.
Pearl white.
Claire immediately thought of Evelyn.
“Where is she?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
“Where is Evelyn?”
“She’s gone.”
Lily suddenly began shaking.
“She has the key.”
Gabriel turned.
“What key?”
Lily pointed at Claire's hand.
Claire had forgotten she was still holding the silver key.
“The key to the red door.”
Gabriel snatched it.
His face changed when he saw the number.
“That's impossible.”
“What?”
“The Mercer Hotel was demolished six years ago.”
Claire looked at Lily.
“So why does she remember it?”
Gabriel's phone rang.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then Gabriel's expression turned murderous.
“Repeat that.”
Silence.
“Alive?”
His eyes moved toward Lily.
“Take him to the basement.”
He hung up.
Claire felt cold.
“What happened?”
“My security team found a man in the service elevator.”
“Who?”
Gabriel looked at Lily.
“Someone who claims he was there the night her mother was killed.”
Lily began crying.
“Does he know the red door?”
Gabriel crouched beside his daughter.
“He says he does.”
“Then don't let him leave.”
Gabriel frowned.
“Why?”
May you like
Lily grabbed his tie.
“Because he is the one who opened it.”
