CHAPTER 4: The Doors Open at Midnight

The sound of the front doors opening traveled through the hall like a verdict.
Grant turned first.
Celeste turned after him.
Amelia did not turn at all. She already knew who walked with that kind of silence.
Three men entered beneath the blue-black windows: an older man in a dark overcoat, two security officers behind him, and a family attorney carrying a slim leather folder.
Charles Whitmore did not rush.
He had built hotels, banks, hospitals, and a reputation for arriving only after the first lie had finished speaking.
His eyes found Amelia on the staircase.
For one second, the room lost all its luxury.
There was only a father seeing his daughter on the floor.
Grant stepped forward, palms open. “Charles, this is a misunderstanding.”
Charles did not look at him.
He said, “Amelia, do I call the doctor or the police first?”