Chapter 4 - The Midnight Visitor
Elena stared at the threatening note until the words blurred into black ink smudges.
Someone was trying to ensure she took the fall for the attempted murder.
And they were willing to hurt Sophia to guarantee her silence.
Rage suddenly replaced her overwhelming fear.
She walked over to the bed and tucked the heavy blanket around her sleeping daughter.
Titan lifted his massive head, watching Elena intently from his spot on the rug.
"Watch her," Elena whispered pointing at the child.
The dog rested his chin back on his paws, understanding the assignment completely.
Elena reached into her apron pocket and pulled out her magnetic master keycard.
Dante's men had been so focused on the dog and the poison that they forgot to confiscate her access card.
She quietly unlocked the heavy door and slipped out into the dimly lit corridor.
The house was completely silent, but she knew guards were patrolling the perimeter.
She needed to find out who had access to her cleaning cart before she went upstairs this morning.
She crept down the servant's staircase, her soft-soled shoes making absolutely no noise.
The main kitchen was dark, lit only by the glowing green light of the commercial ovens.
Elena moved quickly toward the security logs pinned to the pantry clipboard.
She grabbed a small penlight from the drawer and clicked it on.
Before she could read the sign-in sheet, her foot kicked something soft on the floor.
Elena lowered the light.
Mrs. Bellini was lying on her back between the flour sacks.
Her eyes were wide open in terror, staring blankly at the ceiling.
A thin wire was wrapped tightly around her throat.
Elena clamped a hand over her own mouth to trap the scream ripping up her throat.
The sweet old woman who gave Sophia cookies was dead.
Elena fell to her knees, reaching out with trembling fingers to check for a pulse she knew wasn't there.
As she touched the woman's cold hand, she noticed something tightly gripped in Mrs. Bellini's stiff fingers.
Elena carefully pried the fingers open.
It was a piece of a shattered gold cufflink.
It was shaped like a roaring lion, the unmistakable crest of the Moretti family.
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Suddenly, the kitchen lights flickered on, blinding her completely.
"I knew you would try to run," Dante's voice boomed from the doorway.
