Chapter 3 - Behind the Nursery Wall
Victor had owned the mansion for six years.
He knew every bedroom.
Every hallway.
Every storage room.
Or at least he thought he did.
The narrow door behind Oliver’s closet had been painted the exact shade of white as the wall.
Its handle had been removed.
Only a shallow groove remained along the edge.
Victor pushed against it.
Nothing happened.
Serena stood behind him.
“That’s probably an old maintenance panel.”
Victor glanced at her.
“You seemed pretty worried about me opening it.”
“I’m worried because Oliver is exhausted.”
Lily held the toddler tighter.
Victor reached into his pocket and removed a small pocketknife.
He slid the blade into the groove.
The panel opened.
A cold draft escaped from the darkness.
Behind the nursery wall was a narrow service corridor.
Victor stared.
The mansion had once belonged to an industrialist who built private servant passages throughout the property.
Most had supposedly been sealed during renovations.
Victor turned on his phone flashlight.
Dust covered the floor.
But not everywhere.
Fresh shoe prints cut through it.
Serena looked toward the staircase.
Victor saw her.
“Don’t go anywhere.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Victor entered the corridor.
Lily remained near the opening.
Oliver began whining.
Victor followed the footprints.
The corridor turned sharply.
Then he saw something on the floor.
A disposable latex glove.
Farther ahead sat a plastic case.
Victor picked it up.
The label had been removed.
Inside were several sealed syringes.
Empty.
His stomach tightened.
Lily whispered from behind him.
“What are those?”
“I don’t know.”
Serena appeared at the entrance.
Victor stared at her.
“You said you weren’t coming in.”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Victor held up the case.
Serena froze.
Then she recovered.
“I’ve never seen that.”
Victor walked deeper into the passage.
Another hidden door appeared.
He pushed it open.
It led directly into the guest bedroom Serena used as a private dressing room.
Victor stared at her.
Serena immediately shook her head.
“That was here before I moved in.”
Victor noticed a cabinet beside the door.
He opened it.
Inside were medical gloves.
Alcohol wipes.
Small bottles of clear liquid.
And a manila folder.
Victor opened the folder.
The first page contained Oliver’s name.
OLIVER BLACKWOOD.
Below it were dates.
Weights.
Sleep schedules.
Medication amounts.
Victor’s hands stopped moving.
He read one line twice.
Then a third time.
Lily stepped closer.
“What does it say?”
Victor looked at Serena.
“Sedative dosage.”
The room became completely silent.
Serena’s expression collapsed.
“That isn’t what you think.”
Victor’s voice dropped.
“You’ve been drugging my son?”
“No.”
The word came too quickly.
Victor held up the page.
“Then explain this.”
Serena backed toward the hallway.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded downstairs.
Someone had entered the mansion.
Victor had not called anyone.
Neither had Lily.
Serena’s panic transformed into relief.
May you like
And that terrified Victor.
Because whoever had just arrived was clearly someone Serena had been expecting.
