Chapter 6: The Master Key
Chapter 6: The Master Key
The next morning, Emily used her new security clearance to access the estate's central vault log. She sat in the security room, reviewing decades of entry records. The necklace, known as the "Tears of Midnight," was rarely taken out.
She cross-referenced the dates the vault was opened with the staff schedule. Her eyes narrowed as a pattern emerged. Over the last fifteen years, the vault was opened primarily for routine cleaning and inventory. The only person consistently scheduled for those specific shifts was Margaret.
Margaret. The sweet, older woman who had given Emily chamomile tea. The woman who had worked for the family for forty years.
Emily felt a sickening twist in her stomach. It couldn't be. Margaret was the moral compass of the household. But the evidence was staring her in the face. Margaret had the master keys. Margaret knew the appraisal schedules.
Emily left the security room and walked to the staff quarters. She found Margaret in her small, cozy room, knitting a sweater.
"Margaret," Emily said softly, closing the door behind her. "We need to talk about the Tears of Midnight."
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Margaret’s knitting needles stopped. She didn't look up immediately. When she finally did, the warmth in her eyes was gone, replaced by a profound, exhaustion-laden sorrow.
"You found out," Margaret whispered.
