Chapter 4 - The Secret Hidden Inside the Burned Apartment
Nathan stared at the photograph until the emblem blurred.
It was the old insignia of Vale Urban Housing, a company his father had founded and Nathan had inherited twelve years earlier. The business purchased distressed apartment buildings, renovated them, and converted them into affordable housing.
At least, that was what the company claimed to do.
Nathan turned to Marcus.
“Why was one of our lockboxes inside that apartment?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Who owned 418 Altamont?”
Marcus opened another file.
“A shell company called Harlow Residential.”
“Who owns Harlow?”
“That’s where it gets complicated. The ownership runs through three holding companies.”
“Keep going.”
Marcus placed a final document on the desk.
“The last company in the chain is Vale Urban Housing.”
Nathan leaned back.
“That building was ours?”
“Technically, yes.”
“It was condemned.”
“According to city records, repairs were scheduled.”
Nathan’s expression hardened.
“Scheduled when?”
“Eight months after the fire.”
“There were families living there.”
“Twelve occupied units.”
Nathan rose and walked toward the window.
He had spent years rebuilding his father’s businesses, eliminating corruption and public scandals. Yet he had trusted senior executives to manage the low-income housing division.
“Who supervised Altamont?”
“Dean Carver.”
Nathan turned.
The name matched the man Elelliana had mentioned.
Marcus continued.
“Regional property manager. He was fired two weeks after the fire.”
“By whom?”
“Simon Creel.”
Nathan knew that name too. Simon was Vale Urban Housing’s chief operating officer and one of Nathan’s longest-serving executives.
“What was the reason?”
“Failure to meet safety standards.”
“Convenient.”
“There’s more. Dean Carver is Vivian Mercer’s former fiancé.”
Nathan’s fingers curled against the desk.
“Find him.”
“I already tried. He disappeared three days after the fire.”
“Bank accounts?”
“Empty.”
“Vehicle?”
“His red truck was found at a bus terminal.”
Nathan looked down at the photograph of the metal box.
“What was inside it?”
“The fire department’s evidence inventory does not mention a box.”
“Then somebody removed it.”
Marcus nodded.
“And the photograph was taken before investigators entered the room.”
A knock sounded.
Elelliana stood in the doorway holding the brass key.
“You found it,” she said.
Nathan motioned her inside.
She saw the image and stepped closer.
“That’s Mom’s box.”
“Did you ever see her open it?”
“No. She kept it under the floor.”
“What did she say was inside?”
“She said it could save us.”
Marcus crouched beside her.
“Did anyone else know about it?”
“Vivian.”
“How?”
“I heard Mom tell her she had copies.”
Nathan exchanged a look with Marcus.
“What kind of copies?” he asked.
Elelliana shook her head.
“Mom worked at night. She cleaned offices.”
“Which offices?”
“The building with the big V on it.”
Nathan felt a cold realization move through him.
Vale Urban Housing’s administrative headquarters displayed a twelve-foot steel V above its entrance.
“What was your mother’s name?”
“Rachel Mercer.”
Marcus began typing on his tablet.
Within seconds, he found her employment record.
Rachel Mercer had worked as a contracted cleaner in the accounting department for fourteen months.
She had been terminated six weeks before the fire for allegedly stealing documents.
Nathan looked toward the silver box in the photograph.
Perhaps she had not stolen anything.
Perhaps she had preserved evidence.
The custody hearing began Monday morning.
Vivian arrived wearing a navy dress and carrying a folder of family photographs. She sat beside her attorney and repeatedly dabbed her eyes with a tissue whenever reporters looked toward her.
Nathan sat behind his legal team. Elelliana remained in a child-interview room with Dana and a court psychologist.
The judge, Honorable Rebecca Hall, entered without ceremony.
Vivian’s attorney spoke first.
“My client is the children’s closest living relative. She has a stable residence, appropriate employment, and a long-established relationship with her late sister.”
Nathan’s attorney stood.
“Elelliana has expressed significant fear of Ms. Mercer.”
“She is a traumatized eight-year-old,” Vivian’s attorney replied. “Mr. Vale met her less than one week ago.”
Judge Hall looked toward Nathan.
“Mr. Vale, why are you seeking continued placement?”
Nathan rose.
“Because the children are safe in my home, and because Elelliana has made allegations that require investigation.”
“Are you prepared for the responsibilities of caring for three children, including newborn twins?”
“Yes.”
“Your work requires international travel.”
“It no longer does.”
His attorney glanced at him. That was the first time Nathan had said it.
The judge continued.
“Have you considered that your involvement may be temporary?”
Nathan looked toward the closed interview-room door.
“I have considered that they have already lost every person who was supposed to stay.”
Vivian suddenly stood.
“My sister wanted me to have them.”
The judge frowned.
“Sit down, Ms. Mercer.”
Vivian obeyed, but her voice carried through the courtroom.
“He is a stranger who thinks money makes him a father.”
Nathan did not respond.
The court psychologist entered fifteen minutes later.
She testified that Elelliana showed signs of severe trauma, hypervigilance, malnutrition, and parental-role reversal. She strongly recommended that the siblings remain together.
“Does the child wish to live with her aunt?” the judge asked.
“No.”
“Why?”
“She believes Ms. Mercer attempted to obtain custody of the twins through financial coercion before their mother’s death.”
Vivian shook her head violently.
“That’s a lie.”
The judge struck her gavel.
“One more interruption, and I will remove you.”
Dana then presented the preliminary fire report.
Vivian’s attorney emphasized the matches found near Elelliana’s bed and argued that the child’s version of events was unreliable.
Nathan watched Vivian during the discussion.
She did not look grieved.
She looked impatient.
Judge Hall requested a private interview with Elelliana.
The girl entered carrying the folded napkin of twenty-seven cents.
She sat in a chair that was too large for her.
The judge removed her glasses.
“Elelliana, do you understand why we are here?”
“You’re deciding where we sleep.”
“We’re deciding who can best keep you safe.”
“My mother kept us safe.”
“I know you miss her.”
Elelliana’s chin lifted.
“She didn’t leave us.”
“No one is saying she did.”
“Vivian said she did.”
Every eye turned toward the red-haired woman.
Judge Hall spoke gently.
“What else did Vivian say?”
“That babies need real parents. She said people would pay a lot for twins because they match.”
Vivian’s attorney stood.
“Your Honor, this is hearsay from a traumatized child.”
Judge Hall raised one hand.
“Sit down.”
Elelliana continued.
“Mom said we weren’t things to sell. Vivian got mad.”
“Did Vivian hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did she threaten you?”
“She said she would tell everyone I started the fire.”
The courtroom went silent.
Vivian’s face changed.
Only for a second.
But Nathan saw it.
Judge Hall ordered that the children remain with Nathan for thirty additional days while investigators reviewed the allegations.
Vivian rose as soon as the hearing ended.
“This isn’t over,” she hissed.
Nathan stepped between her and Elelliana.
“No,” he said. “It isn’t.”
That evening, Nathan convened an emergency meeting with Vale Urban Housing executives.
Simon Creel arrived wearing a tailored gray suit and an expression of practiced concern.
“This is a tragedy,” Simon said. “Had I known the building remained occupied—”
“You signed the occupancy reports,” Nathan interrupted.
Simon’s face remained calm.
“Those reports were prepared by regional management.”
“Dean Carver?”
“Yes. He falsified records. That’s why we fired him.”
“After the fire.”
“We needed evidence.”
Nathan slid Rachel Mercer’s employment file across the table.
“Why was she fired?”
“Security caught her removing confidential documents.”
“Which documents?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You signed the termination.”
“I sign dozens every month.”
Nathan opened the fire photograph and placed it in front of him.
Simon looked at the metal box.
No surprise crossed his face.
That told Nathan more than surprise would have.
“Recognize it?” Nathan asked.
“No.”
“It came from our accounting department.”
“Then perhaps she stole it.”
“Or perhaps she discovered something.”
Simon leaned back.
“You are allowing sympathy for a child to cloud your judgment.”
Nathan’s voice dropped.
“Be very careful.”
“I’m trying to protect this company.”
“From what?”
“From a scandal created by a dead cleaner and an unstable little girl.”
Nathan stood so abruptly that the conference chair rolled backward.
Elelliana was outside the glass wall.
She had come with Mrs. Alvarez because she refused to remain at the mansion without Nathan. Now she stared at Simon.
“Don’t call my mother a thief,” she said.
Simon’s expression shifted into a false smile.
“You must be Elelliana.”
She stepped inside.
Nathan moved toward her, but she raised the brass key.
“My mother said the man with the silver ring would come for the box.”
Everyone looked at Simon’s right hand.
He wore a heavy silver signet ring.
Simon slowly curled his fingers.
“She’s inventing stories,” he said.
Elelliana’s eyes remained fixed on him.
“You were at our apartment.”
Nathan turned toward Simon.
“What?”
“She’s confused.”
Elelliana shook her head.
“You came when the babies were born. You gave Dean an envelope.”
Simon rose.
“This meeting is finished.”
Nathan blocked the door.
“No. It just began.”
Simon’s composure finally cracked.
“You have no idea what you’re accusing me of.”
“I haven’t accused you yet.”
“Then move.”
Nathan looked at security.
“Take his access card. Freeze every account he controls. He is suspended pending investigation.”
Simon stared at him.
“You’re destroying a twenty-year career because of an eight-year-old’s nightmare.”
“No,” Nathan said. “I’m investigating it because nobody investigated when her mother was alive.”
Security escorted Simon from the room.
Elelliana remained motionless until the elevator doors closed.
Then her knees buckled.
Nathan caught her.
“I thought he was going to take us,” she whispered.
“He won’t.”
“You keep saying people won’t, but people do things anyway.”
Nathan held her shoulders.
“Then I’ll stop saying it and start proving it.”
That night, Marcus called.
“We found Dean Carver.”
“Where?”
“St. Louis. He was admitted to a hospital after a car accident.”
“Can he talk?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
Marcus hesitated.
“He says the fire was not meant to kill anyone.”
Nathan gripped the phone.
“Who started it?”
“He won’t say over the phone. He wants protection.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
“There’s another issue.”
“What?”
“Dean claims Rachel’s metal box was removed from the apartment the night of the fire.”
“By whom?”
“He says Elelliana took it.”
Nathan turned toward the nursery doorway.
Elelliana stood there, listening.
In her hand was the brass key.
Her face was pale.
“That’s not what he told me,” she whispered.
Nathan lowered the phone.
“What did Dean tell you?”
Elelliana looked toward the locked room at the end of the hallway.
May you like
“He said the box was already inside this house.”
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