Chapter 7 - The Porcelain Rabbit
Sophie stopped sleeping.
Every night she appeared beside Edward’s bed carrying the porcelain rabbit.
“What if the glass comes here?”
“It can’t.”
“What if Aunt Celeste has another key?”
“She doesn’t have a key to this room.”
“What if she copied it?”
Edward had no answer that would satisfy a child who had learned adults could duplicate keys.
He installed a lock anyway.
Then hated himself for making Sophie watch.
On Sunday morning, Sophie dropped the rabbit.
Edward heard the crack from across the bedroom.
“No!”
She fell to her knees.
One porcelain ear had broken.
Edward reached for it.
She slapped his hand away.
“Don’t!”
“Sophie.”
“Mommy gave it to me!”
“I know.”
“You ruin everything!”
The sentence struck harder than she intended.
Edward sat back.
Sophie immediately started crying.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He forced his voice steady.
“You’re allowed to be angry.”
She looked at the broken rabbit.
“Can you fix him?”
“I can try.”
Edward examined the base.
A felt pad covered the bottom.
It had loosened with the impact.
Underneath was a tiny circular recess.
Something was inside.
Sophie saw his face.
“What?”
Edward carefully removed the felt.
A rolled strip of paper slid out.
Anna again.
Not a long note.
Only an address.
Lockbox 113 — Jefferson Private Archive
And beneath it:
Maria knows the phrase.
Edward called Maria immediately.
She was still furious about the jewelry accusation.
But when he read the note, she became silent.
“The phrase?”
“Yes.”
Maria whispered:
“White roses bloom after frost.”
“What does that mean?”
“Anna told me if anyone ever asked about Jefferson Archive, I should say that.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because no one asked.”
Edward almost laughed.
Of course.
Anna had built a system based on specific triggers.
No single person knew enough to betray the whole thing.
Naomi arranged access.
Jefferson Private Archive verified that Anna had rented a secure lockbox sixteen months before her death.
Edward was named beneficiary.
The phrase provided the second authentication factor.
Inside box 113 they found three things.
A handwritten ledger.
A sealed envelope addressed to Sophie.
And an original 2019 shareholder proxy.
Naomi read it.
Anna’s signature appeared.
But beside the signature was a handwritten notation:
VOID — DUPLICATE OBTAINED BY FRAUD — 9/14/2019
Attached was a notarized revocation.
The notary stamp was genuine.
Naomi exhaled.
“This is what Celeste didn’t want found.”
The ledger was worse.
Anna had documented transactions line by line.
Verdant.
Sentinel.
Cedar Gate.
Dates.
Amounts.
Who approved them.
One entry was circled.
9/18/19 — Celeste threatened me with proxy. Said she can outvote Dad once Sophie’s shares are ‘hers to manage.’
Another:
10/02/19 — Peter says C. wants E. declared impaired if necessary.
Edward stopped.
“They were planning to remove me before Anna died.”
Naomi nodded.
A final page listed private investigator expenses.
Anna had hired someone named Jason Rowe.
“He may have more evidence.”
They found Rowe living in North Carolina.
He agreed to speak by video.
Anna had hired him after discovering Verdant’s ownership structure.
Rowe had photographed Celeste meeting Marcus Bell from Sentinel at three hotels and two restaurants.
One photograph showed them kissing.
Edward stared.
Naomi looked at him.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
Celeste had been having an affair with the buyer trying to acquire the family company.
That explained more than money.
Rowe continued.
“I also photographed them at Rosecliff.”
“When?”
“Three weeks before Anna died.”
“Where?”
“The greenhouse.”
Edward’s skin prickled.
Rowe emailed the images.
Celeste and Marcus stood beneath the same roof mechanism that nearly killed Sophie.
Marcus held a set of brass keys.
Celeste pointed toward the release housing.
Naomi leaned toward the screen.
“Can you establish date and metadata?”
“Yes.”
“Why were they examining the greenhouse?”
Rowe shook his head.
“Anna never told me.”
Edward looked at the photograph.
Maybe the greenhouse had never been only a place for flowers.
He returned to Anna’s ledger.
One line near the bottom read:
G.H. panel route gives access to archive conduit. C knows. Must move originals.
G.H.
Greenhouse.
Panel.
Route.
Edward slowly looked toward Rosecliff’s shattered conservatory.
Celeste had not just staged an accident there.
May you like
She had been searching for something.
And she believed Anna had hidden it inside the greenhouse itself.
