Chapter 1 - THE EMPTY COMPARTMENT
The empty compartment in my grandmother's safe frightened me more than the wedding invitation ever could.
Camden cheating on me was painful.
Camden planning to marry his mistress at my family's estate was insulting.
But someone entering a private safe concealed behind a library bookcase?
That was something else entirely.
I stood motionless, staring at the velvet indentation where the brass crest die had rested for nearly seventy years.
The gold signet ring was untouched.
The registration documents were still neatly arranged.
Only one object was missing.
An object worth perhaps a few thousand dollars to an antique collector.
But capable of authenticating documents worth millions.
I called Vivian Cho again.
"The die is gone."
Silence.
Then she asked, "Are you certain?"
"There's an empty compartment in the safe."
"Has anyone else had access?"
"Not that I know of."
"Nora, don't touch anything else. Photograph the safe exactly as you found it."
I obeyed.
Then Vivian asked a question that sent a chill through me.
"When was the last time you personally checked the die?"
I thought carefully.
"Six weeks ago."
"What happened six weeks ago?"
I closed my eyes.
Camden had hosted a private dinner at our home.
His business partners.
A few investors.
And Sloane Voss.
He'd introduced her as a strategic consultant.
I remembered her admiring the library.
Asking about my grandmother.
Commenting on the unusual craftsmanship of the bookcases.
Then disappearing for almost twenty minutes.
At the time, she'd claimed she was searching for the powder room.
My stomach tightened.
"Sloane was here."
Vivian didn't interrupt.
"She spent time near the library."
"Did Camden know where the safe was?"
"Yes."
"Did he know the combination?"
I hesitated.
Three years earlier, I'd told him the emergency access code when my grandmother was hospitalized.
He'd promised never to use it unless absolutely necessary.
I pressed my fingers against my forehead.
"Yes."
Vivian's voice hardened.
"Then we have a potential unauthorized-access issue, not simply a trademark dispute."
I looked toward the hallway.
"Should I call the police?"
"Yes. Report the missing property and preserve the evidence. I'll help you document the timeline."
After the call, I summoned Rosa.
She appeared carrying fresh towels.
"Mrs. Reed?"
"Rosa, do you remember the dinner party six weeks ago?"
Her expression changed.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did you see Mrs. Voss enter the library?"
Rosa hesitated.
"Miss Voss?"
"Yes."
She looked toward the door.
Then whispered, "I saw Mr. Reed let her inside."
My heart stopped.
"Camden?"
Rosa nodded.
"He told me nobody was to disturb them."
I stared.
"How long were they there?"
"About twenty minutes."
I felt cold.
"Did they carry anything out?"
Rosa swallowed.
"A small navy box."
My grandmother's archival box.
I gripped the back of a chair.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her eyes filled.
"Mr. Reed said you had approved it."
I closed my eyes.
Another lie.
Another betrayal.
Then Rosa stepped closer.
"Mrs. Reed, there's something else."
I looked up.
"What?"
"Three days ago, a courier delivered a package to Mr. Reed's office."
"So?"
"The label said Whitcomb Harbor House."
My pulse quickened.
Rosa continued.
"And the sender wasn't you."
"Who was it?"
She hesitated.
"The Whitcomb Preservation Trust."
I went completely still.
Because I was the only person authorized to approve official correspondence from that trust.
And I hadn't sent anything.
May you like
Someone wasn't merely stealing my family's crest.
Someone was impersonating me.
