CHAPTER 4: THE OLD WAITER

Ethan could barely breathe.

“You saw him?”

Arthur Bell nodded.

“Not clearly. He stayed behind a screen.”

“Where?”

Arthur looked toward Eleanor.

“Somewhere she never wanted him to leave.”

Security Chief Marcus Dane seized Arthur’s arm.

“That is enough.”

Ethan stepped forward.

“Let him go.”

Dane was nearly twice Ethan’s size.

He wore a black suit and an earpiece. A thin scar crossed his jaw.

“This is a private event,” Dane said. “You have no authority here.”

Ethan reached into his coat and removed his phone.

“I’m an attorney representing the Mercer estate. The moment this auction listed stolen property, it stopped being a private matter.”

Dane’s expression did not change.

Eleanor spoke calmly.

“Mr. Bell is confused. He has worked too many long nights.”

Arthur laughed bitterly.

“I worked for your family for thirty-two years.”

“And we paid you well.”

“You paid me to carry trays while powerful men disappeared behind locked doors.”

Several guests began recording again.

Bianca turned toward them.

“Stop filming!”

Arthur carefully handed the bat to Ethan.

The moment Ethan touched it, memories flooded back.

His father teaching him how to hold it.

His mother polishing the silver ring.

Samuel whispering one sentence before his final game:

Never trust anyone who smiles when the cameras are watching.

Ava gently touched the carved crescent beneath the handle.

“That’s the moon.”

Ethan examined the replacement silver ring.

“Who opened it?”

Arthur lowered his voice.

“I don’t know. When I found it in the preparation room, the compartment was already empty.”

Eleanor’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Ethan noticed.

Then Arthur reached into his pocket.

“But they missed this.”

He produced a tiny folded strip of paper.

Dane lunged forward.

Arthur pushed the paper into Ava’s hand.

“Run!”

The emergency lights suddenly died.

In the complete darkness, Ethan heard a sharp blow.

Arthur groaned.

Ava screamed.

When the lights returned, Arthur was lying on the floor.

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