Chapter 2 - The Inherited Debt
Norah stared at the bloody page in absolute horror.
Her father had supposedly died of a sudden heart attack three years ago.
He had left behind a mountain of medical bills that forced Norah to abandon nursing school and scrub floors to survive.
But this ledger told a completely different story.
Her father did not owe the hospital.
He owed the Costello crime family.
She closed the notebook quickly and hid it inside the false bottom of her cheap suitcase.
She had to act entirely normal if she wanted to survive the day.
She changed into her gray cleaning uniform and carried her supplies up to the main floor.
The estate was buzzing with nervous energy.
Men in expensive suits whispered in the hallways, glancing over their shoulders constantly.
Norah kept her head down and began polishing the mahogany banister in the grand foyer.
Silas walked out of the formal dining room, his face dark with suppressed anger.
He stopped right in front of Norah, deliberately stepping on her cleaning rag.
"You missed a spot," Silas said, his voice dripping with malice.
Norah did not look up into his eyes.
"I will clean it immediately, sir."
Silas leaned down until his face was mere inches from her ear.
"The man Arthur killed last night was highly connected."
"His people are going to come looking for blood."
"If you know anything about that missing ledger, you better tell me now."
Norah gripped her spray bottle until her knuckles turned white.
"I just clean the floors, Mr. Silas."
Silas chuckled, a dry and humorless sound.
"We will see about that."
He walked away, leaving Norah trembling slightly on the stairs.
Before she could finish her shift, another guard approached her.
"Leave the cleaning supplies."
"The boss wants to see you in his private office right now."
May you like
Norah felt a cold sweat break out across her neck.
Arthur Costello never summoned the cleaning staff to his office unless someone was about to disappear forever.
