Locked in Her Late Husband's Secret Vault: A Widow's Trap at $4,200-a-Night Vail Retreat
👉 Previous Decision: You chose to step away from the door and search the guest house for hidden surveillance hardware.
“Don’t touch the keypad,” I whispered, pulling my hand back from the glowing digits.
Julian took a step back, his face pale in the dim light. “What is it, Maya?”
Chloe shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “What did you see?”
“That isn’t just a keypad,” I said, pointing to the tiny, almost invisible pinprick above the numbers. “There’s a camera lens in there. Everything we do, everything we say, it’s all being watched.”
The realization hit Chloe hard. She gripped my arm, her eyes wide. “Eleanor. She’s doing this.”
“She’s playing a game,” I murmured, my gaze sweeping the rough stone walls of the cellar. “And this entire lodge is her board.”
I moved swiftly, my fingers tracing the cold surfaces, searching for any anomaly. My architectural training kicked in, my eyes scanning for wires, vents, anything out of place in the old-world aesthetic. Behind a rustic, iron-framed wine rack, my fingers brushed against a slightly loose panel near an electrical conduit.
I pulled at it. The old wood creaked, revealing a small, modern circuit breaker box. It looked functional, but something felt off.
Inside, nestled among the legitimate wiring, was a small, sleek device, no bigger than my thumb. A thin wire snaked from it, disappearing into the wall. It wasn’t part of the estate’s antiquated system.
“An audio transmitter,” I announced, my voice low. “Broadcasting to a local IP address.”
Chloe gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth.
I carefully dislodged the device. Behind it, tucked into a recess, was a thick, glossy business card. My fingers trembled as I read the embossed name: *Harrison Croft, Estate Appraisals & Notary Services*.
“Croft,” Julian said, his voice tight. “He’s Eleanor’s man. He handled all of Arthur’s estate paperwork after… after the accident.”
A cold dread spread through me. Croft, the man who had valued every piece of Arthur’s life after his death, was connected to this trap.
A distinct *thump* sounded directly above us. Then another. Heavy boots on the main floorboards.
Someone was walking inside the lodge. We weren’t alone.
➡️ Read CHAPTER 4 to continue the story
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