Chapter 4 - The Courtyard Confrontation
Above ground, the fire department had finally brought the worst of the blaze under control, though the west wing of Sterling Manor smoldered in ruins, casting a pall of gray smoke across the forty-acre estate.
In the paved cobblestone courtyard, the surviving elite stood in tight, anxious clusters wrapped in wool blankets provided by emergency responders.
Aunt Eleanor stood near the center of the circle, dabbing a dry eye with an embroidered lace handkerchief while speaking to two local police detectives.
"It’s just such an unspeakable tragedy," Eleanor wept theatrically, her voice pitched perfectly for maximum sympathy. "We tried everything to get back inside, officers. The heat was unbearable. We screamed his name, but the west corridor collapsed before anyone could reach poor little Leo."
"And the housekeeper?" Detective Vance—the same sharp-eyed investigator from the city precinct—asked, raising an eyebrow as he took notes. "Where is Ms. Hayes?"
Eleanor hesitated for a fraction of a second, her handkerchief pausing near her eye. "She... in her hysterical state, she ran back into the burning building against all warnings. We assume she perished as well. A very devoted, albeit reckless, employee."
Before Detective Vance could respond, a sharp, metallic clang echoed from the far side of the courtyard near the old carriage house.
The heavy iron service door leading to the estate’s underground utility tunnel system swung slowly open.
Every head in the courtyard snapped toward the sound. The murmurs died instantly, replaced by a suffocating, dead silence.
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Stepping out from the shadows of the underground exit was Clara Hayes. Her service uniform was stained with soot and ash, her hair disheveled, but her posture was straight, unyielding, and terrifyingly calm.
And right beside her, pushing his own manual support braces with steady, unbroken rhythm, was eleven-year-old Leo Sterling.
