The Silent Guest

Chapter Eleven

Rachel's POV

The fingerprint report sat on Rachel Kennedy's desk like a coiled snake, ready to strike. The lab confirmed what she already suspected: the partial on the envelope Laura had hidden matched Elise Vaughn's.

She stared at it under the harsh white light of the precinct's interrogation prep room, the late-night buzz of the city muffled beyond the glass. Elise had handled the envelope and then lied about it. Why? To hide the photo? To intercept a message meant for someone else?

Rachel tapped her pen slowly against the edge of the folder. Two other pieces of evidence aligned perfectly: Elise had motive, access, and the cool composure of someone used to wielding power from behind velvet curtains.

But the timing was tight. Too tight.

"Detective Kennedy?" Officer Gregory peeked in.

"Yeah?"

"Claire Goodman's gone. Packed light. Might be running."

Rachel nodded, absorbing the information. "Or hunting," she murmured.

She closed the file and stood.

Time to confront the queen.

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Elise Vaughn greeted her in the parlor with all the elegance of a diplomat hosting a cocktail party. Rachel didn't sit.

"We've matched your fingerprint to the envelope Laura left," she said, skipping the pleasantries.

Elise arched an eyebrow. "I lived here. Touched hundreds of envelopes."

"But not that one. Laura addressed it the night she died. The envelope was sealed, stashed, and hidden."

"She could have given it to me before," Elise said smoothly. "Or maybe I found it after she died. Either way, this isn't an Agatha Christie novel, Detective."

"Isn't it?" Rachel crossed her arms. "The cards, the photo, the secrets, the vanishing heirs? You're just a chapter away from center stage."

A small smile touched Elise's lips, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of tension.

"Do you have something more than a partial fingerprint?"

"Not yet," Rachel admitted. "But we will. And when we do, I hope you're ready to explain how you knew Laura would die that night."

She turned and walked out, leaving the door open.

Behind her, Elise Vaughn's mask slipped—just for a second.