Chapter 4 - The Silver Owl
The paramedics wheeled Arthur through the grand hall on a stretcher, an oxygen mask covering his bloody face.
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd of guests as they witnessed the brutal reality of the attack.
Julian walked closely beside the stretcher, his face a mask of absolute, terrifying fury.
He locked eyes with Elena across the room, giving her a single, tight nod before following the medical team out the front doors.
Caroline immediately lunged forward, playing the frantic wife.
"I must go with him! That is my husband!" she cried out, attempting to push past a police officer.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you are a person of interest in this investigation," the officer said, holding out a firm hand to stop her.
"You are not permitted to leave the premises until the lead detective clears you."
Caroline’s elegant facade slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing a flash of absolute, venomous rage.
She aggressively snatched her designer clutch purse from the nearby table, her knuckles turning white as she gripped it.
The small, tarnished silver owl swung wildly from the zipper, catching the light of the chandeliers.
Elena watched the owl intently, her mind racing back to the moment Leo had seen it.
"Mother did it to Father," he had said, immediately after looking at that specific keychain.
Elena leaned down, pressing her lips close to Leo's ear.
"Leo, why are you so afraid of the owl on your mother's purse?" she whispered very softly.
Leo squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to block out a terrible memory.
"It's not just an owl," he whispered back, his voice barely audible.
"It’s the key to the heavy black box in the floor of her closet."
Elena felt a massive jolt of adrenaline course through her veins.
"What is in the box, sweetheart?" she asked gently.
"The papers," Leo replied, trembling.
"The papers that made Dad so angry tonight."
Elena looked up, her eyes locking onto Caroline, who was currently arguing viciously with the lead detective.
Caroline was desperate to leave the estate, and it wasn't just to put on a show at the hospital.
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She needed to get rid of whatever was inside that hidden safe before the police obtained a search warrant for the house.
Elena knew she had to get that owl keychain away from her, no matter what it took.
