Chapter 4 - The Locked DoorBy midnight, Voss House no longer felt like a mansion.
It felt like a fortress pretending to be one.
Two additional security vehicles appeared behind the east gates. Motion sensors were checked. Camera recordings from St. Catherine Medical Center were transferred to a private server. Emil walked through the first floor speaking quietly into an earpiece while three men Thea had never seen before searched the grounds.
Lachlan stood in the library.
Watching all of it.
Without his glasses.
Thea had changed into sweatpants and an old university T-shirt she had packed from home. The difference between her clothes and the room was almost absurd. She stood beneath a painting probably worth more than her mother’s apartment building while holding a mug of tea Emil had made and wondering which member of her husband’s family might want him dead.
Marriage, she decided, had become strange with unreasonable speed.
“You’re staring.”
Lachlan had not turned.
Thea frowned.
“You can see me.”
“I can see your reflection in the window.”
“That is deeply annoying.”
He finally looked at her.
“You should sleep.”
“You received a threat mentioning me six hours ago.”
“I received a card.”
“That said it would be a shame if I saw too much.”
“Yes.”
“Which is a threat.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then stop saying it like somebody sent you a disappointing birthday invitation.”
Lachlan set his phone on the desk.
His sleeves were rolled to his elbows now. His tie was gone. The top button of his shirt was open.
Thea had discovered something inconvenient during the last twenty-four hours.
Her husband was easier to argue with when he looked like a CEO.
Harder when he looked tired.
“Security believes the card was placed between seven twenty and eight fifty,” he said. “The garage cameras covering that section lost signal for eleven minutes.”
“Convenient.”
“Very.”
“You think it was someone from your company?”
“I think whoever did it knows which hospital we were using and where the car would be.”
“My mother’s surgery wasn’t public.”
“No.”
“Then how many people knew?”
“My office. Astrid. Emil. Dr. Laird’s scheduling team. Your mother’s case coordinator.”
“That’s still a lot of people.”
“Yes.”
Thea wrapped both hands around the mug.
“What happens now?”
“You remain here unless accompanied by security.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“We discussed this.”
“We discussed you telling me about threats. I never agreed to become a prisoner.”
“This is temporary.”
“So is house arrest.”
“Thea.”
“I’m going to the hospital tomorrow.”
“With security.”
“Fine.”
“You don’t leave them.”
“Fine.”
“You don’t change plans without notifying Emil.”
“Fine.”
“You do not travel anywhere alone.”
“That depends.”
“It does not.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The dictator thing.”
His mouth tightened.
“I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“And I’m trying to keep being a person.”
They stared at each other.
Emil entered before either could continue.
“Sir.”
Lachlan turned.
“Anything?”
“No physical breach. We’re checking medical staff access logs and traffic footage now.”
Emil’s gaze moved to Thea.
“Mrs. Voss, we’ve moved your room.”
She blinked.
“My room?”
“To the interior wing.”
“Why?”
“The exterior bedrooms have balcony access.”
Thea looked at Lachlan.
“You already ordered this.”
“Yes.”
“Without asking me.”
“Yes.”
“Are we going to have another conversation about how irritating that is?”
“Probably.”
Emil looked between them with the expression of a man who had served powerful families long enough to survive by becoming invisible during marital disputes.
Thea sighed.
“Where am I sleeping?”
“The blue room beside Mr. Voss’s suite.”
Of course.
She carried her mug upstairs.
The blue room was twice the size of her old apartment bedroom and decorated in shades of pale gray and navy rather than blue. Her suitcase had been moved beside the wardrobe.
Nothing appeared disturbed.
Still, she checked.
She opened the suitcase.
Her clothes were folded exactly as she had left them.
The small toiletry bag remained zipped.
Her nursing textbooks were inside the front pocket.
Her mother’s photograph sat between two sweaters where Thea had tucked it for protection.
She released a breath.
Then noticed the drawer.
The bedside table contained three shallow drawers.
The top one was slightly open.
Thea knew she had not opened it.
She pulled it farther.
Empty.
Second drawer.
Empty.
Third.
Not empty.
A single white envelope lay inside.
Her blood went cold.
“Lachlan!”
Footsteps arrived almost immediately.
Not cautious.
Not blind.
Fast.
Lachlan entered with Emil behind him.
Thea pointed.
“I didn’t put that there.”
Lachlan crossed the room.
“Don’t touch it.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Emil withdrew gloves from his jacket pocket.
Thea stared.
“You carry gloves?”
“Recently, yes.”
He lifted the envelope carefully.
No name.
No writing.
He opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Lachlan took one look and became completely still.
“What?”
He did not answer.
Thea stepped closer.
The photograph showed her.
At seventeen.
Standing outside the community college where she had taken early nursing courses.
Her hair was tied back. She carried two textbooks against her chest. She was laughing at something outside the frame.
The photograph had been taken from across the street.
Thea could barely breathe.
“That’s two years old.”
Lachlan’s gaze snapped to Emil.
“Lock the property down.”
“It already is.”
“Again.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Every person who entered this house in the last seventy-two hours. Staff, vendors, wedding contractors, florists, catering, everyone.”
Emil left immediately.
Thea continued staring at the photograph.
“Why would anyone have this?”
Lachlan turned it over.
Nothing.
“Thea.”
“No.”
She took a step back.
“This isn’t about the wedding.”
“We don’t know that.”
“That photo was taken two years ago.”
“I can see the date.”
“Then somebody was watching me before I ever met your grandmother.”
Silence.
Thea suddenly felt sick.
“Did you do this?”
Lachlan’s face changed.
“No.”
“Was this part of your investigation?”
“No.”
“Did your family investigate me before the arrangement?”
“Astrid conducted a background check three months ago. Standard records. Employment, education, criminal history, finances.”
“This is not a background check.”
“I know.”
“Then who took it?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked at him.
A terrible possibility formed.
“How did your grandmother choose me?”
Lachlan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“She could have chosen anyone. There must be thousands of women whose families need money. Why me?”
He did not answer quickly enough.
Thea’s stomach dropped.
“You know something.”
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I was thinking.”
“You rotate your watch when you’re buying time before you speak. You’re doing it now.”
His fingers stopped against the metal band.
Thea stared at his hand.
Then at him.
“Well?”
“Astrid told me she met your mother through the Lindquist Community Clinic fundraiser six months ago.”
“My mother never attended that fundraiser.”
Lachlan went still.
“I’m sure.”
“How?”
“She was admitted to Mercy General that week. I slept in the chair beside her for four nights.”
He reached for his phone.
Thea’s voice sharpened.
“Call your grandmother.”
“Thea—”
“Now.”
He studied her for a second.
Then dialed.
Astrid answered on the third ring.
“Lachlan?”
“It’s late,” he said. “I need an answer.”
“What happened?”
“How did you find Thea?”
Silence.
Thea heard it even from three feet away.
Lachlan’s expression hardened.
“Astrid.”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“Yes, you do.”
Thea folded her arms.
Lachlan activated speakerphone.
Astrid’s voice filled the room.
“I was given her name.”
“By whom?”
Another pause.
“A consultant.”
“What consultant?”
“A private placement firm.”
Thea frowned.
“What placement firm?” she asked.
Astrid went silent.
“Thea?”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t be involved in this discussion.”
“I found a two-year-old photograph of myself hidden in a drawer in your house.”
The silence changed.
Not confusion.
Fear.
Lachlan heard it too.
“What do you know?” he asked.
Astrid exhaled.
“Come to my house tomorrow.”
“No.”
“Lachlan.”
“We are not waiting.”
“Then listen carefully.”
Thea moved closer to the phone.
Astrid spoke more quietly.
“Six months ago, someone sent me a file.”
“What file?”
“Potential companions.”
Thea’s skin prickled.
“Companions?” she said.
“I had been considering introducing Lachlan to someone for months.”
“By sending him women like résumés?”
“Thea—”
“No. Keep going.”
Astrid continued.
“There were twelve names. Women with different backgrounds. Some from families we knew. Some professionals. Some people outside our social circles.”
“And mine was one of them,” Thea said.
“Yes.”
“Who sent the file?”
“That is the problem.”
Lachlan’s expression turned cold.
“What problem?”
“I believed it came from Wexler Private Services. I had used them for executive placements before. But after you announced your engagement, I contacted them to complete documentation.”
Her voice tightened.
“They told me they had never prepared the file.”
Thea felt the room tilt.
“You knew this before the wedding?” Lachlan asked.
“I discovered it four days ago.”
“And said nothing?”
“I had people investigating.”
“You let the marriage continue.”
“Thea’s background was clean. There was nothing to suggest she posed a risk.”
“That was not your decision to make.”
For the first time, Lachlan sounded truly angry with his grandmother.
Astrid responded sharply.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“By introducing a stranger selected by another stranger?”
“I selected her.”
“From a list someone deliberately put in front of you.”
Thea sat on the edge of the bed.
The photograph in Lachlan’s hand suddenly seemed heavier than paper.
“Why me?” she whispered.
No one answered.
She looked at the photograph again.
Seventeen.
Before her mother’s condition became catastrophic.
Before hospital debt.
Before the insurance denial.
Before marriage had become something anyone could use to control her.
Someone had been watching her then.
Why?
Lachlan ended the call after ordering Astrid to send the original file.
He stood in silence.
Thea looked up.
“You said your family might be behind the crash.”
“Yes.”
“You think whoever sent your grandmother that list is connected.”
“I don’t know.”
“But you think it.”
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“Could they have chosen me because they knew I would be desperate enough to say yes?”
Lachlan’s face hardened.
The idea clearly disturbed him.
“They would have needed to anticipate your mother’s medical decline.”
“Unless they caused that too.”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Too instantly.
Thea stood.
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but your mother’s condition is degenerative. Her records go back years.”
“People can still manipulate insurance. Waiting lists. Coverage.”
Lachlan became very quiet.
Thea saw calculation moving behind his eyes.
“What?”
“Your insurance denial.”
“What about it?”
“When did it arrive?”
“Twenty-six days ago.”
“And Astrid approached you?”
“Twenty-four days ago.”
He walked to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To find out whether your mother was supposed to need me.”
Thea followed.
“Lachlan.”
He turned.
“If someone manipulated her treatment to force me into this marriage—”
His voice dropped.
Thea had heard that tone once before in the parking garage.
Dangerously calm.
“They made a mistake.”
“Why?”
He looked directly at her.
“Because now I know your name.”
The words should not have mattered.
But they did.
Before she could answer, a sound came from the corridor.
A door closing.
Lachlan turned sharply.
The hallway was empty.
He stepped out.
Thea followed despite his raised hand.
At the far end, one of the security doors moved slowly on its hinge.
Someone had passed through seconds earlier.
Emil appeared from the stairs.
“No one is authorized in this wing.”
Lachlan moved toward the door.
Beyond it was a narrow service corridor.
Empty.
Except for one thing.
On the carpet lay a pair of dark glasses.
Identical to Lachlan’s.
One lens had been deliberately shattered.
Beneath them rested a handwritten note.
THIS HOUSE WAS SAFER WHEN YOU COULDN’T SEE.
Thea stared at it.
Then at the locked doors.
Someone had entered Voss House.
May you like
Someone knew Lachlan could see.
And whoever they were had just proven that locks meant very little.
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