Chapter 9 - The Poisoned Pawn
Saturday morning, Adrian announced he was taking Thomas to the golf course for the day.
“Marcus will be at the front gate,” Adrian told Veronica as he packed his clubs into the trunk.
“Are you sure you don't want to come along?”
“No, darling,” Veronica smiled smoothly. “I have a headache. I think I’ll just rest in my room.”
“Rest well,” Adrian said, kissing her cheek.
He drove off the property, but only went three miles down the road before pulling into a deserted lot.
Marcus was already waiting in a black SUV.
“The IT team finished the drive,” Marcus said, handing Adrian a tablet.
“The fake ledgers are loaded. The trap is armed.”
“Good. Is the camera feed up?”
Marcus tapped the tablet, bringing up a live feed of Adrian’s private study.
“Crystal clear.”
They waited in silence for forty-five minutes.
Suddenly, the study door on the screen opened.
Veronica slipped inside, wearing dark clothes and carrying a small bag.
She didn't go straight for the safe.
Instead, she went to Adrian’s desk and pulled out a small, silenced pistol from her bag.
Adrian’s blood ran cold.
“She’s armed.”
Veronica set the gun on the desk, then turned to the painting.
She swung it open and pulled out a small electronic device.
“A brute-force code cracker,” Marcus identified. “High-end military tech.”
She attached the device to the keypad.
Numbers flashed rapidly on the small screen.
While the machine worked, Veronica picked up the house phone and dialed a short extension.
The audio feed from the study crackled to life.
“Grace?” Veronica’s voice echoed through the tablet.
“Yes, Ms. Sterling?” Grace’s voice answered.
“Could you come to Mr. Moretti’s study? I spilled some coffee on the rug. I need it cleaned up immediately.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Adrian gripped the tablet tightly.
“She’s setting Grace up to take the fall.”
“She’s going to shoot her,” Marcus realized, looking at the silenced pistol on the desk.
“She kills the maid, claims she caught Grace stealing the hard drive, and shoots her in self-defense.”
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Adrian threw open the door of the SUV.
“Move!”
