The dog accepted the indignity with astonishing patience.

“Did Renata ever mention the Rinaldis?”

Elena’s brow furrowed.

“No.”

“Arturo Bellandi?”

Her face changed.

That was all I needed.

“You know him.”

“I don’t know him.”

“But?”

“I’ve seen him with Renata.”

“Where?”

“Service corridor.”

“When?”

“Twice.”

“Doing what?”

“Talking.”

“About?”

“I couldn’t hear.”

“Think.”

She closed her eyes.

“One time he handed her an envelope.”

Dominic glanced at me.

“What kind?”

“Cream-colored. Thick.”

“Did she see you?”

“No.”

“When was this?”

“Last Tuesday.”

Six days before someone used her copied badge to enter my mother’s sitting room.

I walked to the window.

Outside, the sky had darkened.

Five o’clock was approaching.

Contracts waited.

So did men who apparently believed time pressure made me easier to manipulate.

My phone buzzed.

Vittorio.

I ignored it.

It rang again.

I declined.

A message appeared.

The Rinaldis will walk if you don’t come back now.

I typed one reply.

Then open the door for them.

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Returned.

My uncle did not answer.

I turned to Elena.

“You and Sofia stay here.”

Her face tightened.

“Are we prisoners?”

“No.”

“Then why can’t we leave?”

“Because someone was willing to frame you inside a secured estate. Until I know why, I’d rather know where you are.”

She looked toward Sofia.

“I don’t want her afraid.”

“Neither do I.”

That answer seemed to surprise her.

Maybe because it surprised me too.

Sofia came running over.

Pino followed.

“Mr. Lorenzo?”

“Yes?”

“Pino likes Bunny.”

“I can see that.”

“He wants to keep him.”

“I’m sure he does.”

She considered this.

“Can we stay here tonight?”

Elena immediately said, “Sofia—”

I looked at the child.

“Why?”

She whispered, “Because Renata said bad things happen after dark.”

The room went silent.

I crouched.

“What bad things?”

“She said Mommy would be gone before sunset.”

I glanced toward the window.

The final light was disappearing.

Before sunset.

The exact same deadline my uncle kept repeating about the marriage contract.

My phone buzzed again.

This time Dominic’s phone buzzed too.

He checked it.

His expression changed.

“What?”

“Badge records.”

He turned the screen toward me.

Three weeks ago, Renata had submitted a request stating that Elena’s badge malfunctioned.

A duplicate had been issued.

Mrs. Calder had never approved it.

The digital authorization came from an administrative account.

Arturo Bellandi’s.

I stared at the screen.

Then my phone rang.

Arturo.

I answered.

“Lorenzo,” he said smoothly, “we really need you back in the east wing.”

“I’m coming.”

“Good. We can put all this unpleasant staff business behind us.”

Interesting phrasing.

“How do you know about the staff business?”

Silence.

Less than one second.

But enough.

“Vittorio mentioned there was some problem.”

“Did he?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t told Vittorio what the problem is.”

Another silence.

Longer this time.

“Lorenzo—”

I hung up.

Elena looked at me.

“What is it?”

I put the phone into my pocket.

“The missing clock wasn’t the real theft.”

Dominic understood immediately.

Elena didn’t.

I looked toward the corridor leading to the east wing.

“Someone stole your identity to get into my private rooms.”

Then I looked at the little girl who had hidden behind my trash cans because an adult had frightened her into believing she was about to lose her mother.

“And I’m starting to think they did it because you saw something you weren’t supposed to see.”

Pino moved closer to Sofia.

The clock in the hallway chimed five.

Nobody in the room spoke.

Down the corridor, four men were waiting for my signature.

They had no idea I was no longer thinking about marriage.

I was thinking about seventeen missing minutes of security footage.

And about which one of them had been stupid enough to frame a maid using my mother’s clock.

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