Chapter 32 No One To Tell
Sloane
The house was too quiet after the front door clicked shut behind Cade.
I stood in the middle of the kitchen, holding a mug of coffee that had gone cold.
My office was a wreck, my family was a lie, and the man I was living with was chasing a ghost.
I looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly nine in the morning. Usually, I’d be in my car by now, heading to work to attend to clients or review the monthly budgets.
I stared at my phone for a long time before admitting the truth to myself. I couldn’t walk back into that office yet. Not after seeing how easily someone had broken in. Not after learning how visible I really was.
The thought of standing in that room, remembering the smell of splintered wood and the sight of my personal life scattered on the floor, made my stomach turn.
I wasn't just tired. I was scared.
I walked into the living room and sat on the edge of the sofa.
I needed to call Nina.
I hit her name on the screen. She picked up on the second ring.
"Sloane? Oh, thank God. I was just about to call you," Nina said.
Her voice was high and tight with nerves.
"I’m at the office now. The cleaning crew is here. It’s... it’s a lot better than it was last night, but it’s still pretty bad."
"Nina, listen," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I’m not coming in today. In fact, I think I need to take a few days off. Can you handle the meetings?"
"Of course," Nina said immediately. "Don't even worry about it. You shouldn't be here anyway.
Sloane, I am so sorry. I can't believe this happened. I’m supervising the cleaners right now. We’re getting the glass out of the carpet and the carpenter is fixing the door frame."
She paused, and I could hear her taking a breath.
"Sloane? Why would someone do this? They didn't even take the petty cash. They didn't take the laptops. It makes no sense. Why would someone just... thrash the place and leave?"
I closed my eyes. I had once thought, assuming things didn’t get this complicated and dangerous, that I would tell Nina everything.
If I told Nina about the note, or about Richard, or about what Cade was doing, Nina could become a target. Richard would see her as a loose end. I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't make her collateral damage.
“I don’t know,” I said finally. The lie felt heavy and false in my mouth. “The police think it might be random. Someone looking for trouble. Maybe local thugs or a dissatisfied customer from one of the hotels. The officer in charge said he’ll let me know if anything turns up.”
"Oh. Well, I hope they catch them," Nina said fiercely. "You don't deserve this. You spend all your time trying to help people, and then this happens. It’s just not right."
"Thanks, Nina. Just... keep me posted if the police come back. And tell the cleaners I’ll pay them extra for the rush job."
"I’ve got it, Sloane. Go lie down. Drink some tea. I’ll handle everything here. I won't let anyone bother you."
"Thank you," I whispered.
The moment the call ended, I slid down onto the sofa, my phone still clutched in my hand like she might need it to breathe.
The silence of the townhouse came rushing back, heavier than before.I felt like I was drowning in my own home. Everything was moving so fast.
A week ago, I was just a woman planning a fake wedding with a stranger who’s using me to solve a murder.
Now, I was a woman hiding from her uncle with a stranger who’s using me to solve a murder.
I looked up at the ceiling. I wished my grandmother were still alive, not because she would have had answers, but because she would have known which lies were worth surviving.
She was the one who taught me how to be a Hartford. She taught me how to keep my chin up and my voice steady. But she never taught me what to do when the people you love are the ones holding the knife.
I thought about Cade. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Cade Whitmore, the man she was supposed to marry out of necessity, was the only person who saw the danger clearly. He was the one person I would have never seen myself trusting over a month ago.
I used to think he was cold and arrogant. And he was. He was the only one who seemed willing to let the danger swallow her whole if it meant getting what he wanted.
Yet, he was the only one I didn't have to lie to.
I needed to do something to stop my mind from spinning. I opened my laptop and tried to reply to the emails that had been stacking up.
I tried to focus, but the words blurred on the screen. Every time I heard a noise outside, a car driving by or the wind hitting the window, I jumped.
I gave up on the emails and turned on the TV. I found some old sitcom and let the canned laughter fill the room.
It was mindless and loud, exactly what I needed. I pulled a blanket over my legs and stared at the screen, not really watching, just letting the colors move in front of my eyes.
The stress of the last twenty-four hours finally caught up to me. My eyelids grew heavy. The sound of the TV faded into a dull hum.
I must have fallen asleep without realizing it.
I dreamt of the office. In the dream, the glass wasn't on the floor; it was falling from the ceiling like rain. I was trying to pick up the note, but every time I reached for it, the paper turned into a bird and flew away.
The knock on the door jolted me awake. It was sharp, deliberate, nothing like a mistake.
I sat up fast, my heart hammering against my ribs. I felt disoriented.
When I opened my eyes, I looked at the time. It was just 2 in the afternoon.
Too early for Cade to be back. He wouldn’t even have to knock. It’s his house.
Someone knocked again.
It wasn't the frantic knock of a delivery person or the casual knock of a neighbor. It was firm.
It was the knock of someone who knew I was inside and wasn't going to leave until I answered.
I stood up, my legs feeling stiff. I walked to the hallway and looked through the small glass pane next to the door.