Page 43 of Man of the Year

My stomach turns with unease.

I notice another figure behind him, by the door to the library. It’s Nick. He stands motionless. His head is lowered, eyes on the floor—he’s eavesdropping!

Oh, wow.This house works like a well-oiled machine. I wonder if the entire staff is committed to saving Rosenberg’s reputation. Or…

An awful thought makes my blood go cold—what if I set up Rosenberg for another crime? What if something horrible is about to happen to the blondie?

I don’t want her to get in trouble, even if that’s what she’s asking for. Maybe she’ll have a good time. Maybe she’ll become Rosenberg’s new secretary or wife. Wouldn’t that be a jackpot for her?

The word “jackpot” makes me think of Cara. She thought Rosenberg would be just that.

Crap, crap, crap, my mind spins on repeat.

I step into the doorway that leads to the staff kitchen and peek from behind it down the hallway, narrowing my eyes on Nick in the distance, who opens the door to the library and walks in, shutting the door behind him.

I have to know what’s happening, so I step out and march down the hall, across the living room, and walk up to Dave, who immediately blocks my way.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the gate?” I ask him politely.

“Not right now. Keep doing what you are doing.” He motions for me to go away.

“Is everything okay?” I insist, glancing between him and the library door.

He takes a threatening step toward me. “I said, move it.”

I hear loud voices and arguing coming from the library, then Rosenberg’s shout, “Piss oooooff, you asshole!”

“What’s happening?” I repeat.

Dave ducks his head at me, glaring. “Mind your own business. Get back to work.”

Suddenly, he raises his hand to his earpiece and cocks his head, then presses the push-to-talk button on his lapel.

“Understood,” he says, then walks over to the wall and kills the lights in the hallway.

“I said, go,” he mouths to me.

That very moment, Nick’s head pops out of the library. “Julien! I need Julien! Right now!” he shouts.

Dave presses the push-to-talk button again. “Julien. Library. Urgent. It’s Rosenberg.”

That’s when I hear a female scream from the library, followed by something breaking. It’s the next sound that makes my heart still—a gunshot.

THIRTY-TWO

ANONYMOUS

Look at that, you screwed up again. Oops! How typical of you.

I watch you brandish the gun on camera. You just shot at the ceiling. That’s happened before. Any other time, I would’ve laughed, but my eyes caught sight of the girl in the armchair.

She’s motionless.

I rewind the footage and watch how everything unfolds. It’s the first time I see it bright and clear, happening right on camera. Again…

This has to be fixed. Right now.

I grind my teeth.

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