Chapter 4 - The Manor's Shadow
Before I could execute any plan, I had to ensure Mia was completely out of reach. I drove to the next town over and left Mia with my sister Elena. Elena didn't ask questions when she saw the look in my eyes; she simply took Mia’s hand, locked her front door, and promised not to leave the house until I called her with our safe word.
As I drove back toward Harold’s side of town, my phone buzzed on the passenger seat. The caller ID displayed Harold’s name.
My stomach seized, but I forced my breathing to steady before answering on speaker.
“Harold?” I said, injecting a light, exhausted tone into my voice.
“Claire, good morning,” Harold said. His voice was warm, jovial—the exact mask he had worn for ten years. “I called to check on Mia. She seemed so agitated last night. Did she sleep well?”
“She did, thank you,” I lied smoothly. “Kids have wild imaginations. She’s watching cartoons at my sister’s house right now while I run some errands for the office.”
A brief pause hung on the line—a silence that stretched a beat too long.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Harold replied softly. “You know, Claire, I’ve been thinking. Mike’s anniversary was just a few weeks ago. I think it’s time we finalized the transfer of his remaining lab shares to the corporate trust. It will secure Mia’s college fund permanently. Why don’t you come by the house tonight around eight? We can have dinner and sign the paperwork.”
“Tonight?” I asked, keeping my tone casual. “I thought you had the regional bio-tech gala tonight in the city.”
“I’m skipping it,” Harold answered smoothly. “Family comes first. And you and Mia are family to me.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. He was laying a trap. He knew that I had seen the device. He had noticed my reaction by the pool, and now he was trying to isolate me.
“Eight sounds perfect, Harold,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”
“Splendid. Take care of yourself, Claire.”
He hung up.
I checked the dashboard clock: 1:15 PM. If Harold expected me at eight, the estate would be bustling with staff and preparations during the late afternoon, but Harold himself would likely be at his downtown headquarters until at least five to maintain his public schedule.
Between two and four in the afternoon was the changing of the guard shift for his private security firm—a detail Mike had once casually mentioned when Harold first hired private guards to protect his patent files.
I turned the car around and headed to an industrial supply depot. I bought a heavy-duty tactical flashlight, a crowbar, wire cutters, a pair of thick leather gloves, and a portable RF field detector—a tool Mike had taught me to use when testing electromagnetic interference on his prototypes.
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If Mike was transmitting, that stone building would be radiating a localized UHF signature like a beacon.
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