“Sir,” they both greeted.
They were regulars at the castle. “Boys. No run-ins with the neighbors?” Wilkes probably called them in for backup while he searched the house.
“All quiet, sir,” the taller of the two responded.
I was surprised that none of the neighbors had reported the suspicious dark four-by-four parked out front. With a nod to the two men, I glanced around the quiet street, noting the four houses lining the opposite side of the road. Nothing stirred. Making my way past the gate leading into the property, I remained tense.
Wilkes met me at the door. “Sir.” He stepped aside to allow me entrance.
Inside, I stood in a passage that opened into a modern living room—nothing to indicate the depravity that could lead to the girl’s condition. My gaze traveled the length and breadth of the room and all the walls occasionally dressed by expensive paintings. “Not a single family photo? Strange.”
He nodded. “None in the bedroom too. Honestly, I couldn’t find any trace of the owners. No identification, no bills, not even a damn computer. I’d say whoever lives here excels at maintaining their privacy. Good thing I’m a persistent fucker,” he snorted. “I’ll get the team to run some fingerprints.”
My smile half-hearted, I eyed the ceiling corners. “Only people who have something to hide are this private. I’m sure there are cameras hidden up there.”
“And they won’t report our intrusion.” He narrowed his eyes upward as if daring the hidden host to show himself. “This way.” He gestured for me to follow him along the passage that opened into a massive black-and-white kitchen. “These people pride themselves on entertaining.”
He was right. Every smart device known to the contemporary housewife was installed in the vast space encased by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking immaculate gardens, centered by a large pool. “This doesn’t make sense, Wilkes. This home looks like it belongs to respectable, wealthy people. How did they keep someone locked up?” I shook my head.
“In my experience, I never judge a person unless I have all the facts, sir. This setup reeks of people who had everything and still wanted to play God.”
Given the stark contrast of lonely homeliness the house gave off, he had a point. I looked at my head of security. His expression told me he’d discovered something more disturbing than a bloodied kitchen before my gaze dropped to the pool of blood that stained the white tiles. “You think it’s the girl’s blood?”
“Could be a mix.”
I squatted near the spill and glanced around, hoping to see something Wilkes might’ve missed. “I’m not an expert, but I don’t think that’s enough blood to cause serious harm to someone?”
“I’d say enough harm to give a person time to escape.” Wilkes dropped to his haunches opposite me.
I frowned, wondering about that speculation. “You’re saying the girl did this?”
He nodded. “She caught him off guard. I’ve seen this pattern before. A sliced artery.” He pointed to the white cupboard below the sink. “It sprayed these cupboards then pooled here.” He directed his extended finger to the floor. “Judging by these scuff marks,” he circled the air over the disturbance around the congealed blood, “the person either fell or sat down before dragging their body in that direction.” He tipped his chin at the bloodied handprints along the wall, heading out toward a side door. “It leads to the carport,” Wilkes confirmed my thoughts.
My emotions rallying between annoyance and puzzlement, I stood. “And the basement?”
Wilkes rose, grabbed something off a kitchen counter then walked over to what looked like a plain white wall. He held up a circular gadget no bigger than a penny attached to a chain thin enough to be worn around the neck. “Looks like an ordinary yin and yang pendant, doesn’t it.”
I moved closer, took the object, and inspected it. Sure enough, the yin and yang symbol on both sides looked like a pendant. Frowning, I glanced up at him.
“Press it, sir.”
I did as he asked and watched the wall open inward to reveal a staircase leading down to what I assumed to be the basement. Surprised, I pressed the pendant again, and the aperture sealed again. So precise it left no trace to indicate a staircase hid behind it. “Very high-tech,” I muttered, running my hands along the seamless wall. “If someone went through all this trouble to conceal this, it’s safe to say they had something to hide.”
“You have no idea.” Wilkes clenched jaw emphasized his irritation.
Tension spiraled along my spine, threatening to derail my calm. “Show me.” I held out the pendant.
Once opened, Wilkes flicked a light switch before I followed him down a spiral staircase wrapped in a thick, dark carpet. The walls, covered by checkered green and black tiles, drew my attention, more so their appearance resembling large egg boxes. Pausing, I reached out to touch it. The rough textured material made me wonder what I’d walked into.
“Acoustic foam,” Wilkes said over his shoulder, having halted two steps below me. “Fancy soundproofing.”
“Should I even ask?”
“Better to see for yourself.” His blank expression hid nothing but angered silence before he turned and continued walking.
The deeper we descended, the tighter my tendons contracted. “How far does this go, Wilkes?”
“About six feet deep,” he said over his shoulder, his tone thick with sarcasm. “Pun not intended, sir. Whoever built this place knew exactly what they were doing, why, and how to.”
