Chapter 8: The Car at the Side Gate
Theron didn't wait for an explanation.
He handed the note to Julian and turned to the head of security.
"Lock the gates. Nobody leaves until we've established what's happened.""
The guard nodded and immediately spoke into his radio.
Guests began gathering in the entrance hall, their conversations dissolving into anxious whispers. The string quartet had stopped playing. Somewhere in the dining room, a glass shattered against the floor.
Margaret stood beside the staircase, trembling.
"She was right beside me," she repeated.
"I only looked away for a moment.""
Theron took her hands.
"We'll find her.""
"She's only ten.""
"I know.""
He turned to Julian.
"Call the police. Give them the photograph and the note. We need to preserve the security footage.""
Julian was already dialing.
Across the hall, Corisande approached them.
"What is happening?""
Theron looked at her.
"Amelie is missing.""
Her expression shifted into alarm.
"Missing? How?""
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
She pressed a hand against her chest.
"Oh, my God.""
Theron watched her carefully.
She looked frightened, but he couldn't tell whether the fear was genuine or whether she was afraid of what might be discovered.
"Where were you when she disappeared?"" he asked.
Corisande stared at him.
"Are you accusing me?""
"I'm asking a question.""
"I was inside.""
"Did you speak to her before she went outside?""
"I told her to go with Margaret.""
"Did you give her anything?""
"No!""
The answer came too quickly.
Julian ended his call.
"The police are on their way. Theron, I need you to avoid confronting anyone or disturbing the scene.""
Theron nodded, though every instinct urged him to grab Corisande and demand the truth.
Instead, he followed the security chief toward the monitoring room.
The estate had cameras covering the entrance hall, the side driveway, the rear garden, and the gates. The chief brought up the footage from the previous fifteen minutes.
At 7:42 p.m., Amelie appeared beside Margaret near the side entrance.
At 7:44, Corisande walked through the hallway carrying a small silver clutch.
At 7:45, she stopped beside Amelie and spoke to her.
The audio wasn't clear enough to capture every word, but the camera showed Corisande pointing toward the side gate.
Amelie nodded.
Then Corisande returned inside.
At 7:47, a black sedan pulled up outside the side entrance.
The driver stepped out, opened the rear door, and waited.
Amelie appeared alone.
She hesitated beside the car, clutching her backpack. Then she looked back toward the house.
A figure emerged from the shadows near the gate.
The person wore a dark coat and a baseball cap.
They spoke to Amelie.
The child looked frightened.
Then the figure took her hand and led her toward the sedan.
Theron felt his stomach drop.
"Can you identify the driver?""
The security chief enlarged the image.
"The plate is partially visible. I'll send it to the police.""
"Who is the person in the coat?""
"I can't tell from this angle.""
Theron stared at the screen.
"Is there another camera?""
"One facing the driveway.""
The chief switched views.
This camera showed the sedan pulling away. For a fraction of a second, the driver's face was visible through the windshield.
Theron recognized him.
"That's Victor Hale.""
Julian looked over his shoulder.
"Who is he?""
"Corisande's former business associate. His name appeared in the documents connected to the charity initiative.""
Julian's expression hardened.
"Don't make assumptions. We'll give the footage to the police and let them identify him.""
Theron nodded.
But when he returned to the entrance hall, Corisande was gone.
He searched the dining room, the downstairs powder room, and the corridor leading to the kitchen.
Finally, Mrs. Bellamy approached him.
"Sir, Mrs. Viremont went upstairs.""
"Which room?""
"The guest suite.""
Theron hurried up the staircase.
The door stood open.
Corisande was beside the bed, pulling clothes from a wardrobe and stuffing them into a suitcase.
"What are you doing?"" he demanded.
She spun around.
"Packing.""
"Amelie is missing, and you're packing?""
"I need to leave.""
"Why?""
"Because you've turned this house into a prison!""
Theron stepped inside.
"Did you send Amelie to that car?""
Corisande dropped a blouse into the suitcase.
"No.""
"Did you tell her to leave the house?""
"I told her to go with her grandmother.""
"The footage shows you pointing toward the side gate.""
"Because Margaret was standing outside!""
Theron watched her hands.
They were shaking.
"Who is Victor Hale?""
Her face changed.
Only slightly, but enough.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
"He's the man who collected Amelie.""
"I have no idea who collected her.""
Theron took out his phone and showed her the security footage.
Corisande stared at the image.
For a moment, she seemed unable to breathe.
Then she snatched the phone from his hand.
"Where did you get this?""
"From our security cameras.""
She looked at the screen again.
"That doesn't prove anything.""
"No. But it raises questions you need to answer.""
She thrust the phone back at him.
"You've been investigating me for weeks. You've turned my daughter against me. You've convinced your mother that I'm a monster. Now you're trying to blame me for something I didn't do.""
Theron felt his anger rising, but he kept his voice steady.
"Then help us find her.""
Corisande looked away.
"I don't know where she is.""
"Did you know she would leave with that man?""
"No!""
"Then why are you packing instead of helping?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because I can't take this anymore!""
She sank onto the edge of the bed.
"I can't keep defending myself against every accusation you throw at me.""
Theron stood motionless.
For a moment, she looked genuinely broken.
Then she whispered, "You have no idea what people are capable of when they want something.""
He stepped closer.
"What does that mean?""
Corisande shook her head.
"Nothing.""
"Corisande, if you know something about Amelie's disappearance, you need to tell the police.""
She looked up at him.
"What if I tell you that bringing Amelie into this house was a mistake?""
Theron stared at her.
"She's a child.""
"I know that!""
The shout burst from her.
She pressed both hands against her face.
"I know she's a child. I know what I did. I know what everyone thinks of me.""
Theron waited.
When she lowered her hands, her eyes were red.
"I wanted everything to be different this time," she whispered.
"I wanted to start again. I wanted a family that didn't remind me of everything I'd lost.""
"Then why did you tell Amelie to leave?""
"I didn't!""
"Then what did you tell her?""
Corisande looked toward the window.
"I told her to wait outside. I thought Margaret would take her home.""
"Why?""
"Because she was making a scene.""
Theron stared at her.
Amelie had arrived carrying a gift for her mother. Corisande had refused to accept it, then apparently sent the child outside.
"Did you know Victor would be there?""
Corisande said nothing.
"Answer me.""
"I didn't know he would take her!""
It was the first time she had acknowledged any connection between Victor and Amelie.
Theron felt a chill run through him.
Before he could ask another question, police officers entered the room.
One of them introduced herself as Detective Morgan.
"Mrs. Viremont, we need you to come downstairs and answer some questions about the missing child.""
Corisande stood abruptly.
"Amelie is my daughter.""
"Then you'll understand why we're treating this seriously.""
Theron stepped aside.
As the detective escorted Corisande toward the door, she turned back to him.
"Theron, please.""
He looked at her.
For the first time in their marriage, she seemed to have no rehearsed explanation, no elegant smile, no sharp retort ready to restore her control.
"Tell them I would never hurt Amelie.""
Theron couldn't answer.
He had heard too many promises from her already.
Downstairs, the police separated the guests and began taking statements. Margaret sat with a uniformed officer, holding Amelie's pink backpack against her chest.
When Theron approached, she looked up.
"They've found the car," she said.
His heart jumped.
"Where?""
"Abandoned near a train station. The driver is gone.""
Theron sat beside her.
"What about Amelie?""
Margaret shook her head.
"They haven't found her.""
He looked toward the entrance, where officers were reviewing the security footage.
Then his phone rang.
The number was blocked.
He answered immediately.
"Hello?""
A man's voice spoke in a low whisper.
"Mr. Viremont, if you want the girl back, stop asking questions about your wife.""
Theron's blood turned cold.
"Who is this?""
"You have until tomorrow morning to decide what matters more. Your money, your marriage, or the child.""
The call ended.
Theron stared at the screen.
Julian hurried toward him.
"What happened?""
Theron told him.
Julian's expression became grim.
"We need to report the threat immediately. Don't contact the caller or attempt to arrange anything yourself.""
Theron nodded, though his hands had begun to shake.
He had built his life around solving problems with money, contracts, and carefully planned decisions.
None of those things could guarantee that a frightened ten-year-old girl would come home safely.
A police officer approached.
"Mr. Viremont, we need to speak with you privately.""
Theron stood.
"Have you found something?""
The officer glanced at Julian before answering.
"We recovered a phone from the abandoned vehicle. It contains several messages related to the pickup.""
Theron's pulse quickened.
"From whom?""
"We're still verifying the account, but one message appears to have been sent from a number registered to Mrs. Viremont.""
He looked toward the room where Corisande was being interviewed.
The officer continued.
"The message reads, 'Take her before the guests start asking questions. Once she's gone, everything can proceed.''"
Theron felt as though the floor had vanished beneath him.
Julian immediately asked for the message to be documented and verified.
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But Theron could no longer ignore the possibility that his wife had arranged for Amelie to be taken from the estate.
And if she had, he needed to know why.
