Page 17 of The Silence of Monsters

I called Winnie’s name and looked in all the different rooms for Channing. I sent Rocco a text and inquired if he had knew the whereabouts of my niece, since one of his guys was supposed to watch her when she was away from the estate. He reported back that Winnie was still at school for a special presentation. He’d arranged for one of his men to bring her back when the event was over in advance. Rocco paused when I asked where Channing was. He didn’t have anyone assigned to watch over the rebellious woman, but he knew me well enough to know that he should be able to answer when asked about her general whereabouts.

“She took a train into the city after she dropped off Winnie at school. I’m not sure what she did there, but she caught another train back to the Cove a couple hours ago. She should be at the estate. Colette’s made it impossible for her to go anywhere else in town.”

My frown deepened as I stepped into the hallway that led to the rest of the house. I called Channing’s name, but there was only silence in response. The estate was so big and empty, sometimes a voice would echo, but not today. There was nothing. An uneasy chill creeped up my spine.

I told Rocco to find out what Channing was doing in the city today and ordered him to let me know if he found her before I did. He grunted in agreement, alluding to the fact that he found supervising Channing below his considerable paygrade.

I wandered up and down the long stretch between various rooms. I cracked doors I’d never opened before and continued to shout for the missing redhead. She had to be somewhere in this house, but I couldn’t imagine her wandering in the places that were off limits unless she was intentionally trying to irritate my mother.

Eventually, I arrived at the stairway that split the house into different parts. I cast a glance toward the main house and knew without a doubt there was nothing in that direction that would interest Channing. I scowled as I took the first few steps toward the wing where my brother died. I’d refrained from stepping foot in those rooms since the remodel was finished. I treated that area as a tomb. The air always felt heavy and ominous when I crossed the threshold. There was nothing more than tragic memories and regret there. I imagined what I wanted to avoid was exactly what Channing was searching for if she’d entered the forbidden zone. If she’d asked before exploring on her own, I would’ve told her there was nothing left from the time her sister lived on the property. The fire ate every single trace that there had ever been a Harvey here. It decimated all proof that a happy, healthy family had ever existed inside these unyielding walls.

“Harvey! Are you up there? You shouldn’t be wandering around this part of the house.” My voice was gruff, and the concern I tried to hide was clear as my words carried down the hall. “I’ve been looking for you for over twenty minutes.”

I called her name again, and this time there was finally a response. Channing yelled from Winnie’s former nursery, “Give me one second. I’ll be right out.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and started walking in that direction. I was grumbling under my breath about her being impulsive and irresponsible when a door suddenly slammed shut. I jerked my gaze toward the sound, but the door to the nursery was wide open. Channing’s head poked out as she looked around for the source of the loud noise. Her eyes drifted to mine and her brows furrowed.

“Was that you?”

I gave her an impatient look in response. “I don’t slam doors. It was probably the staff. Or maybe a strong draft of wind. I told you a house this old has life to it.”

She stepped out of the room and tossed her messy ponytail over her shoulder. “These antique doors weigh a ton. It would need to be a hurricane-grade wind to blow a door shut with that much force.” Channing craned her neck and looked up and down the hallway in confusion. “I walked this way because I heard another door open and close when I was at the base of the stairs. I swear on my mother there was something tapping inside the walls guiding me to this room. In a normal house, my guess would be mice. But I doubt Lady Halliday would allow something so undignified in her presence. No wonder Winnie thinks this house is haunted. Weird stuff keeps happening. It’s not in her head.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave her a pointed look. “Why don’t I hear anything strange?”

She rolled her eyes and followed me as I led her away from the wing that I was starting to believe might really be cursed.

“You heard the door slam just now. That wasn’t my imagination.” She huffed a bit, and I found her extremely cute when she was frustrated. I froze for a second because I could not remember the last time I considered anything ‘cute.’ Maybe when Winnie was a newborn? There wasn’t much use for soft sentiments in my day-to-day. It was another unconscious change that happened because I was spending more time with Channing.

“There’s a rational explanation. There always is. You’re as bad as Winnie. You should set a better example for her.”

She gave me a dirty look and stomped back to the safety of my domain.

“Whatever. I know I heard something, and I know it wasn’t a breeze that slammed those doors.” She pouted and kicked the edge of the big recliner in the living room. “Maybe your mom is having the staff play tricks on me. She knows my mother has mental health issues, and I’m sure she could tell Willow struggled with similar symptoms. There is no question that the illness is hereditary. It’s entirely possible she wants me — and you — to doubt my sanity.”

I pulled off my tie and rolled my head to loosen the tension that had my neck muscles in a chokehold. “If you have suspicions that my mother is playing games with you, then you shouldn’t let her win. Don’t feed into whatever narrative she’s trying to get you to follow.”

I yawned because I hadn’t slept well the last few days. I’d worried about whatever was happening back at the estate. For good reason, it seemed.

Channing swore loudly and gave me a dirty look. This was far from the warm welcome I’d secretly imagined when I was headed back from London.

“Winnie won’t be home until later. Do you want me to arrange something for dinner, or did you eat?”

“I’ve eaten. I met up with a friend in the city this afternoon.” She turned and gave me a haughty look. “And I found a job.”

I blinked in surprise. “What sort of job? You’re going to work in the city? Isn’t that inconvenient?” I did the commute several times a week. Granted, I used the time in the car to work, but I still preferred not to spend hours on the road.

Channing shrugged, and the corner of her mouth quirked upward in a mocking grin. “I’m going to be a personal assistant. Just like that annoying guy who was following you around at the courthouse. I’m only working a couple days a week, so the commute shouldn’t be terrible. I made sure the job fits within the confines of the contract and Winnie’s school hours.”

“A personal assistant for whom?” I started silently planning to have Rocco run a background check and do a deep dive into her new employer.

She opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly her expression changed, and she frantically darted over to the massive window that faced the seascape. Along the windowsill sat the potted plants she had carefully brought from her apartment. When I left a few days ago, they were thriving. Now, they looked brown, crunchy, and very dried up. They appeared as if someone had drop-kicked them across the living room when no one was looking. They were most certainly dead.

“Did you do something to these?” Channing whipped around and glared at me. “Why are they suddenly like this? I’ve had these plants for years. They’ve never even wilted before.”

I grunted and lifted a hand to rub the back of my neck. “Did you forget that I’ve been gone? How could I do something to them?”

She scoffed and gave me a narrow-eyed look. “What about your housekeeper? Maybe your mother paid her off to mess with me.” She picked up one of the pots and gave it a sad look. “This is so unnecessary. What did this poor plant ever do to anyone?”

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