Chapter 5 - BLACKOUT
The bathroom vanished into darkness.
Guests screamed in the hallway. Glass shattered downstairs. Somewhere, an alarm began to pulse.
Smoke pushed beneath the doorway. Somewhere below, the orchestra kept playing for several confused seconds before stopping mid-song. The gala's perfect illusion was collapsing one room at a time.
Emma dropped to her knees and pulled Lily against her.
"Stay with me."
A hand grabbed Emma's hair from behind.
Renata.
Emma twisted, struck the wrist, and heard the pink recorder hit the floor.
"Give it to me!" Renata hissed.
A flashlight beam cut through the darkness. Mason tackled Renata before she reached the device.
Grant shouted for emergency power.
Owen's radio crackled. "Sir, the security server room is on fire. East wing."
Grant turned toward the door.
"They're destroying evidence," Emma said.
Then Lily pulled Emma close and whispered another word.
"Mommy."
Emma froze.
Lily pointed at the rabbit recorder, then toward the dark hallway.
Grant heard her. His face lost all color.
"What about Mommy?" he asked.
Lily's lips trembled.
"Car... not accident."
The emergency lights flickered on.
Renata stopped fighting Mason.
Grant stared at her.
"What did she mean?"
Renata said nothing.
A security guard appeared at the door, smoke behind him.
"Mr. Callahan, Victor Hale just left through the river gate. He took the backup drives."
Grant looked toward the windows.
May you like
Far below the estate, a black SUV raced toward the Hudson.
And Lily whispered, "He was there when Mommy died."
