The Woman on the Marble Floor
Chapter 01 - The Woman on the Marble Floor
When Julian Ashford returned to the family estate three days ahead of schedule, the first thing he heard was not music from the ballroom or the familiar click of his mother’s heels. It was the scrape of a cloth across marble.
Nora Hale was on her knees beneath the grand chandelier, wiping a wide spill from the floor with both hands. A silver bucket lay on its side beside her. Her dark hair had fallen across her face, and the cuffs of her black-and-white uniform were damp. Two security guards stood near the staircase, watching without helping.
At the top of the stairs, Helena Ashford held a glass of red wine and looked down as if she were supervising a punishment.
Julian set his briefcases on the floor. “What happened?”
Nora looked up. Her eyes were red, but she did not answer. Helena descended slowly, calm and elegant in a black evening gown.
“The new housekeeper damaged the Italian marble,” Helena said. “Then she became hysterical when I asked her to clean it.”
Julian’s gaze moved from the spill to Nora’s hands. Purple marks circled both wrists. One was fresh enough to be swelling.
“Did cleaning the floor do that?” he asked.
Helena’s smile tightened. “She tried to leave before security could search her room. A family necklace is missing.”
Nora finally spoke. “I didn’t take anything.”
One of the guards stepped forward, but Julian raised a hand. The room went still.
He crouched beside Nora and noticed something Helena had overlooked. The liquid on the floor was clear, not red. The bucket smelled faintly of bleach, while Helena’s wineglass was nearly full. This was not an accident from a party. Someone had staged the scene.
Julian removed his jacket and placed it around Nora’s shoulders. Then he took out his phone.
Helena laughed softly. “Are you calling the police?”
“No,” he said. “I’m calling Dr. Mercer to document her injuries, and my attorney to make sure nobody leaves this house with a phone, a laptop, or a key card.”
For the first time, Helena’s confidence slipped.
Nora clutched the jacket around herself. “The west hallway camera saw everything.”
Helena lifted her glass. “That camera has been offline for weeks.”
Julian looked toward the chandelier above them. A tiny blue light blinked behind one of its crystal panels.
“The hallway camera might be offline,” he said. “But the smart-home system is not.”
May you like
Helena followed his eyes upward.
The cloth stopped moving across the marble, but the truth had already begun to spread.
