Chapter 4 - The Dinner Performance
At 7:00 p.m., the heavy wrought-iron gates of the Carter estate swung open.
Daniel pulled his car up the circular stone driveway, parked in the garage, and walked through the side entrance. The mansion was warm, lit by soft golden wall sconces, smelling faintly of roasted lavender chicken and fresh lilies.
Victoria stood in the kitchen, wearing a tailored cashmere sweater, stirring a pot of sauce on the imported marble island. She looked so wholesome, so gentle, so completely innocent that for a fraction of a second, Daniel wondered if the toxicology reports had been a nightmare.
Then he remembered the small girl with trembling hands holding a glass of water.
"Daniel!" Victoria greeted him with a warm, radiant smile, stepping forward to kiss his cheek.
Daniel felt her lips touch his skin. It took every ounce of his lifelong corporate discipline not to pull away or strangle her on the spot. He forced his mouth into a soft, tired smile.
"Hey, honey," Daniel said, setting his briefcase on the counter. " Smells incredible."
"I made your favorite," she said, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "You looked so stressed this morning. I felt terrible that you didn't even eat your breakfast."
Daniel looked at the kitchen island. The butter dish from that morning was gone. In its place was a fresh, crystal butter dish filled with yellow spread.
"I had a crazy morning at the office," Daniel lied smoothly, stepping toward the refrigerator to pour himself a glass of sparkling water. "Thomas called an emergency board meeting regarding the quarterly trust revisions."
Victoria’s hands paused on the wooden spoon for a split second before resuming their rhythmic stirring.
"Oh? Thomas called a meeting?" she asked, keeping her tone light and casual. "Is everything alright with the estate planning?"
"Just paperwork," Daniel said, taking a slow sip of his water while watching her through the reflection in the glass cabinet. "He wants me to sign the finalized power-of-attorney documents before the wedding next month. He says it’ll make the transfer of assets smoother in case I ever suffer a medical emergency."
Victoria turned around, her eyes sparkling with carefully restrained hunger.
"Well, Thomas is very thorough," she said gently, walking over to wrap her arms around Daniel’s waist. "He just wants to make sure you’re protected, darling. You work so hard. Sometimes I worry your heart can't take all this pressure."
Daniel rested his hands lightly on her shoulders, looking down into her blue eyes. He saw no love there. Only the cold, calculating gaze of a butcher inspecting a prime cut of meat.
"My heart is fine, Victoria," Daniel whispered, his voice dangerously soft. "Stronger than you think."
"Of course it is," she smiled, patting his chest. "Why don't you go wash up? Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."
"Where is Elena?" Daniel asked casually. "I didn't see her car outside."
Victoria’s smile faltered slightly. "Oh, Elena asked for the evening off. She said Annie wasn't feeling well, so I told her she could take the girl home early."
Lie Number One, Daniel thought. Frank’s team had already confirmed that Elena and Annie were in the third-floor staff apartment, locked inside because Victoria had told them to stay out of the main house.
"That was nice of you," Daniel said. "I’ll go change."
He walked upstairs to his master suite. Once inside the walk-in closet, he pulled out his secure phone and sent a quick text to Frank:
She's isolating the house tonight. Install the surveillance array at 2:00 AM while she’s asleep.
May you like
Daniel walked to his desk, pulled out a small glass vial given to him by Dr. Harrison Cole—a harmless chemical neutralizing agent that would prevent absorption of small toxic doses—and swallowed two pills with water.
Tonight, he was going to sit across from his murderer, eat dinner, and play the part of the unsuspecting victim until the trap was completely set.
