Chapter 4 - We left the mansion that night
I did not wait for certainty.
That surprised everyone.
Especially Victor.
I called Dr. Samuel Whitaker, the twins’ lead physician.
Explained the letter.
He asked:
“Do we know what environmental abnormality?”
“No.”
“Any confirmed compound?”
“Elena has a report.”
“Do not interpret it yourself.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Lie.
I already wanted to.
He said:
“If there is credible concern for ongoing environmental exposure, removing them from the suspected environment is reasonable while we verify.”
By 6:30 p.m., the twins were transported to the pediatric hospital.
Not because they crashed.
Because I refused to put them into another bedroom elsewhere in the mansion.
Blythe clung to Elena when the transport team arrived.
That created an immediate problem.
Elena was not family.
Not staff.
Not medically authorized.
Blythe said:
“She comes.”
I said:
“Elena will meet us later.”
Blythe started crying.
Elena knelt.
“You go with Dad.”
“No.”
“I’ll bring Mr. Buttons’s emergency cousin.”
Blythe sniffed.
“He doesn’t have cousin.”
“He might.”
That was apparently sufficient toddler logic left over from age four.
She went.
Elena did not ride with us.
I had Daniel arrange a hotel room.
She refused.
“I already have a room.”
“At the Lakeway Motor Lodge.”
Her face changed.
“How do you know?”
“Security.”
“You ran me already.”
“Yes.”
“You always do that?”
“Yes.”
“Genevieve hated that.”
I looked away.
Victor arrived while the children were leaving.
Sixty-three.
Silver hair.
Dark overcoat.
Still carried himself like my father’s lieutenant though the world had supposedly changed.
“What is happening?”
I said:
“We’re relocating the twins.”
“Why?”
“Environmental concern.”
His expression barely shifted.
Barely.
That was enough.
“From whom?”
“Genevieve.”
Victor’s eyes went to Elena.
Recognition.
Not vague.
Immediate.
“You.”
Elena did not move.
Victor turned to me.
“She was told never to return.”
“By you?”
“By legal and security.”
“At whose request?”
“Lawson, this woman breached confidentiality when Genevieve was ill.”
Elena said:
“I kept documents Genevieve gave me.”
Victor ignored her.
“She became fixated on environmental contamination.”
I stared.
“You knew Genevieve was testing the house?”
Victor paused.
“I knew she explored several theories.”
“Did you receive a report?”
“It was inconclusive.”
“Where is it?”
“Our counsel can locate the file.”
My anger became colder.
Not because he had proven guilt.
Because that was how Mercer men answered when they wanted time.
Locate the file.
Review.
Clarify.
Control sequence.
I said:
“No one enters the west wing.”
Victor laughed softly.
“Lawson.”
“I mean it.”
“This is still your home.”
“Then I can close part of it.”
He looked toward Elena.
“You’re letting a stranger destabilize critically ill children.”
I almost repeated him.
Then remembered Genevieve’s letter.
Choose Mercer explanations over mine.
I said:
May you like
“The children are already critically ill.”
Victor stopped smiling.
