Chapter 98
The name lingered in Sawyer's mind: Elizabeth. Jacob's fiancée, Hughes's granddaughter, and potentially the key to unlocking the secrets of Nightfall.
Jacob's apparent affection for her only made her a more valuable asset. This entire thread of his investigation was becoming increasingly worthy of his focused effort.
"Stand down on the surveillance breach for now," Sawyer finally commanded, his voice returning to its usual measured calm, though now laced with a distinct chill. "Concentrate all resources on Elizabeth. I want to know her daily schedule, every person she meets, and every unusual action she takes. Specifically, I need to know if anyone matching Noel's description appears in her orbit."
"Yes, Mr. Scott," Justin replied, bowing slightly before retreating from the office.
Alone, Sawyer settled back into his expansive chair. He gazed out at the city's glittering, indifferent skyline, the corner of his mouth slowly curling into a cold, predatory smile. Victory was not a possibility; it was an inevitability.
The morning sun was already high when Elizabeth awoke, the lingering ache in her muscles a dull reminder of the previous night's chaotic intensity.
Jacob had come to her room in the dead of night. As expected, once a man's lust was aroused, it must be vented.
After a long shower, Elizabeth dressed in a set of comfortable loungewear. She walked down the hall to Jack's room and knocked softly on the door. The sound of small, hurried footsteps answered from within, and the door opened a crack. A small head peeked out, and upon seeing her, Jack's eyes lit up. "Mommy!"
"Jack," she began, crouching to meet his gaze, her voice gentle. "It's a beautiful day. Would you like to go out? I could take you to the amusement park, or maybe the zoo?"
This was a plan she had formed the night before, a dual-purpose excursion. It was a promise to her son she intended to keep, but it was also a necessary escape for herself—a chance to breathe and think, far from the suffocating tension of the manor.
She had moved in for Jack, after all, yet her days had been consumed by a whirlwind of other people's crises.
Jack's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and longing, but the light in them quickly dimmed. He asked timidly, "Can we? Daddy…"
"I'll talk to your father," Elizabeth soothed, stroking his hair. "As long as it's what you want, we can go."
He nodded vigorously, a pure, unadulterated smile blooming on his face. "I want to! I want to go with you, Mommy!"
"Good. Let's get some breakfast, and then we'll get ready to leave."
As Elizabeth led Jack downstairs by the hand, they intercepted Jacob on his way out.
He was dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, a matching long coat draped over his shoulders, his expression grim.
His steps faltered for a fraction of a second as he saw them, his gaze lingering on the two of them.
"I'm taking Jack out for a while. We'll be back this afternoon," Elizabeth stated, breaking the silence.
Jacob's eyes shifted to Jack's small face, flushed with anticipation, then back to Elizabeth. He offered no objection, only a terse addendum. "Take enough security."
"I will," she confirmed.
Without another word, Jacob strode past them, Leon and a few other close associates falling into step behind him. They headed briskly toward the helipad on the estate grounds, clearly on their way to deal with a matter of greater urgency.
As Elizabeth watched him go, a contemplative look crossed her face. The murderous aura clinging to him was barely concealed.
Richard had not been staying at the Smith Manor for some time. Jacob had expelled him following Elizabeth's arrival, an order Richard had no power to refuse.
The expulsion had been brutally direct. Jacob had stormed into Richard's residence with his men while Richard was in the middle of breakfast, attended by a handful of his own nervous subordinates.
"Jacob? What are you…" Richard's forced smile faltered at the sight of Jacob's hostile entourage, and he pushed himself to his feet.
Jacob ignored him, walking straight to the dining table. He placed a square object wrapped in black velvet beside Richard's plate with a heavy thud. The edges of the cloth were stained with a dark, dried patch of what could only be blood.
The smile on Richard's face froze completely. He stared at the package, then at Jacob's glacial expression, a sickening premonition making his voice tremble. "What is this? Jacob, what is the meaning of this?"
With a slow, deliberate motion, Jacob unbuttoned his coat, which Leon immediately took from him. He raised a hand, the fingertips of his black leather glove flicking away the blood-stained velvet.
The box was open.
Inside, resting on a bed of satin, was the severed head of Hall, the butler from Hillside Manor. It had been crudely preserved, but the terror and agony of his final moments were forever fixed on his face, his eyes wide open and staring directly at Richard.
A strangled scream tore from Richard's throat. He scrambled backward, knocking over his chair and collapsing to the floor in a heap. The contents of his breakfast plate spilled across his expensive silk pajamas.
Pointing a trembling finger at the box, he stammered, "Hall? Is that… Hall? Jacob! Are you insane?! You killed him?! Why?!"
Of course, he recognized Hall. The butler was one of the informants he had secretly cultivated, an asset he had allowed—even encouraged—to leverage Mr. Smith's name for personal gain while feeding him information.
For Jacob to not only kill him but deliver his head was an unmistakable declaration of war.
Jacob looked down at the pathetic figure on the floor, his eyes devoid of any warmth, filled only with cold disgust and lethal intent.
"'What is the meaning of this?'" Jacob repeated Richard's question, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "Richard, do you really think I need a reason?"
He advanced slowly, the sound of his leather shoes sharp and clear on the polished marble floor. Each step was a hammer blow against Richard's heart.
"Conspiring with outsiders. Scheming against me," Jacob's voice was low, but every word was a razor's edge. "Using my name, on my territory, to run your filthy little games. And you nearly implicated someone important to me."
He stopped directly in front of Richard and bent down, his face close to the other man's, which was contorted with fear. "Richard, did you think I've grown soft since taking this seat? Or did you believe I was truly ignorant of your pathetic little maneuvers?"
Richard's face was ashen, sweat beading on his brow as he shook his head frantically. "No! It wasn't me! Jacob, listen to me! I had nothing to do with what Hall did! He was acting on his own! I didn't know! You can't pin this on me!"
"Pin this on you?" Jacob scoffed and straightened up. He drew his silver pistol from its holster with a fluid motion as natural as breathing. "Last night, someone tried to silence Hall. They were even faster than I was. Now, who besides you would be in such a hurry to shut him up?"
The moment he had received Elizabeth's message, he had dispatched men to seize Hall at Hillside Manor. They had arrived too late. The butler was already dead in the estate's cellar, dispatched with professional efficiency.
Richard was the most suspect in this case, as he was capable of doing this and had the motive to do so!