Chapter 5 - The Black CaseThe black case appeared because of a broken vacuum cleaner.

Three days after the party, Tasha went to the upstairs storage room looking for a replacement.

Behind two boxes of seasonal decorations sat a long garment case.

Black.

Caleb's words returned instantly.

Black box.

Tasha did not touch it.

She stood staring.

Then she backed away.

There were lines she refused to cross.

She wasn't going to search her employer's belongings because her son had said something strange.

She found another vacuum and returned downstairs.

But an hour later, Vanessa approached her.

"You were in the upstairs storage room."

Tasha looked up from polishing silver.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Why?"

"Vacuum broke."

Vanessa stared at her.

"Did you see anything?"

The question made Tasha's pulse jump.

"Cleaning supplies."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Vanessa smiled.

"Good."

She walked away.

Tasha watched her.

That evening, the black case was gone.

Tasha said nothing until Daniel found her near the laundry room.

"You all right?"

"Fine."

"You sure?"

She hesitated.

Then decided losing a job would be easier than teaching Caleb that adults should hide truth.

"There was a black garment case upstairs."

Daniel's face changed.

"Where?"

"Storage room. Mrs. Whitmore asked whether I'd seen anything."

"Did you open it?"

"No."

"Good."

She frowned.

"Good?"

"You shouldn't."

Daniel's response surprised her.

He wasn't asking her to steal information.

He was telling her not to.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Sir, whatever happens, leave Caleb out of it."

"I promised."

That night Daniel checked the storage room.

Nothing.

He checked hallway security records instead.

The mansion's cameras did not cover bedrooms or the nursery.

But electronic locks recorded door access.

The night of the party, Vanessa had entered the nursery at 7:42 p.m.

At 7:49 p.m., the door had opened from inside.

At 7:50, no badge entry was recorded.

Meaning someone had left without locking it.

Caleb spoke to Tasha shortly after eight.

Daniel printed the log.

Then another detail caught his attention.

At 8:18 p.m., after Caleb's first statement but before Daniel searched upstairs, Richard Hale's temporary guest access had been used at the east service entrance.

Daniel remembered Richard leaving the party early.

Apparently he hadn't.

He called the security manager.

"Did Mr. Hale return?"

A pause.

"I'd have to check the driveway footage."

"Check."

Ten minutes later the answer arrived.

Richard had never driven away.

He had walked around the side of the house.

Entered through the service door.

Then left carrying something twenty minutes later.

The footage was grainy.

But the object was unmistakable.

A long black case.

Daniel sat alone watching the clip repeatedly.

Then he enlarged one frame.

Richard's face was turned toward the camera.

His expression calm.

He knew where he was going.

He knew what he was taking.

Daniel picked up his phone.

He almost called Vanessa.

Instead, he called an attorney.

"Melissa," he said when she answered, "I need this kept completely confidential."

"What happened?"

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Daniel stared at the frozen image of Richard holding the case.

"I think someone inside my family and someone inside my company are lying to me about the same thing."