The Unspoken Accord
The Briefcase
The library of the Williams estate had always been a place of quiet power, of leather-bound history and silent decisions. Tonight, it was a crime scene, though no official tape would ever cordon it off. The air was thick with the ghosts of betrayal and the sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic wipes, where medics had tried and failed to stave off fate.
Evelyn Williams stood before the cold marble fireplace, a sentinel of grief and rage. She did not turn when William, Mimi, and Viktor Strom entered. Her gaze was fixed on the flames, but she pointed a steady finger to the floor beside her chair.