Chapter 3 - The Search(1,800 words)
Within twenty minutes, two uniform officers from the Greenwich Police Department arrived at the main gates. Detective Thomas, a stern man in his late fifties who had handled high-profile estate cases in the wealthy town for decades, led the entry.
"Mr. Callahan," Detective Thomas said, shaking Daniel’s hand before nodding politely toward Vivian. "We got the call regarding missing property. A diamond bracelet?"
"Yes, Detective," Vivian took control of the conversation immediately, her tone shifting seamlessly from cruel stepmother to victimized lady of the manor. "My daughter Chelsea’s platinum tennis bracelet, valued at fifty-five thousand dollars, vanished from the main floor powder room during my charity luncheon. We believe it was taken by our housekeeper, Adeze."
Detective Thomas turned his gaze toward Adeze, who was sitting quietly on a wooden chair near the kitchen entrance. "Ma'am, did you take the item?"
"No, sir," Adeze said, her voice steady Despite her trembling hands. "I was working in the kitchen preparing the dessert for six hours straight. I only entered the main hallway to deliver the cake."
"She’s lying!" Chelsea interrupted, pacing back and forth in her silk heels. "She had access to the entire ground floor! Detective, search her quarters! Her room is in the carriage house behind the garage. I bet it’s hidden under her pillow right now!"
Daniel stepped forward, crossing his arms. "Detective Thomas, search the entire estate if you must. But I want this done thoroughly and by the book. My stepmother insists on searching Adeze’s room first. Let’s start there."
The small procession walked across the manicured rear lawn toward the converted carriage house. Adeze’s living quarters were modest—a small studio room with a single bed, a small desk with a photo of her daughter Kemi, and a modest wardrobe. It was spotless, organized with military precision.
Chelsea stood near the doorway, a smug smile playing on her lips as Detective Thomas and his partner began their search. They checked the drawers, searched the closet, and lifted the mattress.
Adeze held her breath, staring at the photo frame on her desk. Please God, she prayed internally. Don't let them have planted it.
After ten tense minutes, Detective Thomas straightened up and turned to face the room. "Nothing here. No high-value jewelry, no hidden items."
Chelsea’s smile instantly evaporated. "What?! Look again! Did you check inside her pillowcase? Did you check behind the desk frame?!"
"Miss Callahan," Detective Thomas said firmly. "We checked thoroughly. There is no diamond bracelet in this room."
"She must have hidden it somewhere else in the main house!" Vivian insisted, her voice tight with anger. "Or given it to an accomplice! Detective, you need to interrogate her!"
"Wait," Daniel interjected, stepping into the center of the small room. "Before we go interrogating anyone, let's look at the timeline. Chelsea, when was the last time you know for absolute certainty that you were wearing the bracelet?"
Chelsea scoffed, tossing her hair back. "I put it on at one o'clock, right before the guests arrived! I took it off in the powder room at two-thirty to wash my hands after touching the cake!"
"And you left a fifty-five-thousand-dollar bracelet unattended on a sink during a party with twelve guests and five catering staff members?" Daniel asked, eyebrow raised.
"It was in my own home!" Chelsea shouted. "I expected it to be safe!"
"Detective Thomas," Daniel turned to the officer. "Does the mansion’s security camera network cover the hallway leading to the powder room?"
Vivian instantly froze. Her eyes darted toward the window for a split second before she spoke up, her voice slightly higher than usual. "Oh, Daniel, don't be absurd. You know those cameras in the south wing haven't worked in months. The wiring was damaged during the winter storm."
"Actually," Daniel said, pulling his smartphone from his inner jacket pocket, "I paid the security firm to upgrade the entire system to cloud-based wireless cameras three weeks ago while I was in Singapore. The feeds record twenty-four-seven directly to a secure server."
The air in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees. Vivian’s hands tightened around her designer handbag until her knuckles turned white.
"You upgraded the system?" Vivian asked, a subtle quiver in her voice.
"I did," Daniel replied, tapping his phone screen. "Let's walk back to the main office and pull up the footage from two-thirty PM today. If someone walked into that powder room and took the bracelet, it will be on high-definition video."
Adeze felt a sudden, massive weight lift from her chest. The truth was about to come out. She looked at Daniel, overwhelmed with gratitude. For three years, she had felt utterly alone in America, fighting an uphill battle against poverty, distance, and prejudice. But in this quiet heir, she had unexpectedly found an ally.
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"Let's go to the office, Detective," Daniel said, leading the way out of the carriage house.
Vivian and Chelsea lagged behind. As Adeze walked past them, she caught a glimpse of Vivian whispering fiercely into Chelsea’s ear, her face pale with an emotion that looked suspiciously like raw panic.
