Chapter 5 - THE BROKEN WATCH
Vanessa’s smirk faltered. "I don't make mistakes."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a gold pocket watch. The crystal face was shattered, the metal dented. It was my grandfather's watch, an heirloom I kept in the study.
"I found this in your lockbox, too," I said, holding it up by its broken chain. "Do you know why I didn't care that it was broken?"
She crossed her arms, feigning boredom. "Because you have a dozen more just like it?"
"Because of the engraving on the back." I flipped the watch over. "It doesn't say 'Sterling.' It says 'Property of the Crosswood Estate Theatre Department.' It's a stage prop, Vanessa. A fake. Just like the rosary you planted on Carol."
Vanessa’s face went completely white.
"The real rosary," I continued, "is locked in a vault in Geneva. It has been for three years. I only keep replicas in the house for display. If you take that tape to the police, you'll be accusing Carol of stealing a twenty-dollar piece of costume jewelry."
She lunged for the watch, but I stepped back.
"The contract," she spat, pointing at the document on the table. "You still signed it! I still get ten million dollars if you walk away!"
"A contract signed under fraudulent pretenses—like using a fake identity—is void," I replied smoothly. "And I don't need to cancel the wedding. I just need the authorities to escort an intruder off my property."
I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus. "Send the local police to the greenhouse. Tell them we have a trespasser committing fraud."
Vanessa shrieked, a raw, ugly sound that echoed off the glass walls. She grabbed a heavy terracotta pot and hurled it at me. It shattered against the table, showering my tuxedo in dirt.
"You're a fool!" she screamed, hiking up her heavy skirts and sprinting toward the rear exit of the greenhouse. "You'll never prove any of it!"
I didn't chase her. The estate was completely walled off, and Marcus had locked the main gates. She had nowhere to go.
I walked calmly back to the main house. The guests in the ballroom were restless. I stepped up to the microphone at the altar.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced. "There will be no wedding today. Please enjoy the catering, and have a safe drive home."
The room erupted into chaos, but I ignored it. I headed straight for the study to check on Carol and Ivy.
May you like
When I opened the door, the room was empty. The window was wide open, the curtains blowing in the wind.
And on the floor, laying in a puddle of blood, was Marcus’s radio.
