Chapter 66 Sixty six
Mira’s breath caught
She couldn't believe her ears; there was another murder part from the six women who died
Neither of them spoke.
Anna continued quietly. “The police ruled it a suicide.”
Mira frowned immediately. “You don’t believe that.”
“No,” Anna said
“Why not?” Mira asked
Anna looked her straight in the eye. “Because Claire wasn’t suicidal.”
They both stood there in silence, staring at each other.
“She called me the night before she vanished,” Anna muttered
Mira felt a chill crawl up her arms. “What did she say?”
Anna’s fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne glass. “She said she’d finally found something.”
“What?”
“She wouldn’t tell me over the phone,” Anna said
“Why?”
“She said…” Anna paused, her voice becoming quieter. “‘If I’m right, this is bigger than anyone thinks.’”
Mira felt her heartbeat quicken. “And then what happened?”
“The next morning…” Anna swallowed hard. “…she never came to work.”
Mira looked toward Salvatore again. He was still talking to the mayor.
Calm and collected. It was hard to imagine someone like him having anything to do with a young reporter ending up dead or anyone dying.
But appearances had fooled people before. “Was she investigating Salvatore?”
Anna nodded once. “Officially? No.”
Mira frowned. “What do you mean officially?”
“The assignment was never written down.”
“Why?”
“Matthew was worried about leaks.” She said, her eyes sad. “So only a few people knew.”
Mira’s thoughts began racing. “Did Salvatore ever meet her that day she went missing?”
“We don’t know.”
“Did she ever get inside the mansion?”
“We don’t know,” Anna said frustratedly
“Did she leave any notes?” Mira asked, “There must be something.”
Anna let out a sigh. “Just one note.”
“What did it say?” Mira asked
Anna looked uncomfortable. “It wasn’t really a note.”
“Then what was it?”
“It was one sentence scribbled across the last page of her notebook.”
Mira’s pulse quickened. “What sentence?”
Anna held her gaze. “‘He isn’t the only one..”
Mira blinked. “What?”
“Those were the last words Claire ever wrote.”
The room seemed to tilt. Mira stared at Anna, convinced she’d misheard.
“That’s impossible. What did she mean he isn’t the only one?”
“I wish I knew.”
“If she wasn’t talking about Salvatore…”
Anna slowly shook her head. “Then she found someone else.”
Mira’s mind raced. The six women whose murders she’d been investigating.
The maid's death now…Claire.
“How come I never knew this?” she asked quietly.
Anna hesitated before answering.
“Because Matthew and I never had enough proof to connect Claire’s death to Corvin.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “The editor killed the story before it ever reached print. He said we couldn’t accuse one of the most powerful men in the state without evidence.”
She looked Mira straight in the eye. “Seven women, Mira.” Her voice trembled. “ Seven women all connected to that bastard. You need to get the fuck out of here.”
Mira swallowed. “Eight.”
Anna frowned. “What?”
“Eight,” Mira repeated
Anna blinked. “What do you mean by eight?”
Mira glanced around the ballroom before lowering her voice. “She’s not technically connected to Salvatore.”
Anna waited.
“But one of the maids was murdered inside the mansion yesterday morning.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “What?”
“They found her in one of the east wing hallways.”
“Oh my God…”
“There was blood everywhere,” Mira said, her voice shaking as the image flooded her mind
Anna looked horrified.
“And beside her body…” Mira paused, remembering the image that still haunted her. “…someone left a dead raven.”
Anna looked at her, confused. “A raven?”
Mira nodded. “And my photograph.”
Anna’s face drained of every bit of color. “…Your photograph?”
“It was pinned beneath the bird’s wing.”
Anna instinctively grabbed Mira’s arm. “Fuck, Mira! Did Salvatore see it?”
“He was there,” Mira whispered
“What did he do?”
“He had the body cleaned up.”
Anna stared at her. “That’s it?”
“He ordered security to investigate, I think.”
“And?”
“Not sure there’s a lead yet.”
Anna looked like she was struggling to process everything.
“Mira…”
“There was a note too.”
“What did it say?”
Mira swallowed. “‘You’re next.’”
For a moment Anna simply stared at her. Then she grabbed both of Mira’s shoulders. “No, this can’t.. ”Her voice shook. “This can’t be....”
“What is it?” Mira asked, her voice tense
“You don’t understand,” Anna said, her voice shaking
“Damn it! What is it?”
Anna’s breathing had become uneven. “Claire told me something a week before she disappeared.”
.” What?”
Anna looked around nervously before leaning even closer. “She said someone had started leaving her little messages.”
Mira felt her stomach sink. “What did it say?”
Anna’s lips parted slowly. “‘Stop digging.’”
A chill shot through Mira’s body.
“A week later…” Anna paused “…Claire died.”
Neither of them spoke. The orchestra continued playing. Guests laughed. Champagne glasses clinked. Yet around the two women, it suddenly felt as though the ballroom had fallen silent.
Anna’s grip tightened on Mira’s arms. Listen to me. I don’t care about the investigation anymore.”
Mira frowned. “I do.”
“Mira .” Anna shook her head. “Drop it.”
“But—” Mira was about to speak, and Anna cut her off
“Forget Corvin.”
Mira’s expression hardened. “I can’t.”
“You have to.”
“Why because he dangerous. That’s more reason he should be locked up.”
Anna looked ready to scream. “Mira!”
“I came too far to walk away now.”
Anna stared at her in disbelief. “You think this is about your career?”
“No… I” Mira let out a deep, frustrating sigh
“You think exposing him is worth dying for?”
“If innocent women are dying…” Mira said quietly. “…then yes.”
Anna’s eyes filled with tears. “You always were stubborn. This is why I don’t like you.”
“And you always worried too much.”
“I’m serious,” Anna said, her voice slightly raised
“So am I.”
Neither of them noticed that across the ballroom…
Salvatore had stopped listening to the mayor.
His eyes had settled on Mira once again.
Not because he was watching her.
Because someone else was. Standing only a few feet behind her was a man in a dark gray tuxedo.
He wasn’t talking to anyone. He wasn’t drinking. He wasn’t looking at the orchestra or the guests.
His attention was fixed entirely on Mira. Salvatore’s expression changed.
The warmth disappeared from his face.
His eyes grew cold. Very cold.
The mayor frowned. “Mr. Corvin?”
Salvatore didn’t answer immediately. His gaze never left the stranger.