Chapter 5: The Whistleblower
The breakthrough came three days later.
Arthur was sitting in the hospital lobby when his phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number. It read: I was the one who slid the soup under the door. Meet me at the diner on 4th Street.
Arthur rushed to the location. Sitting in a back booth, nervously shredding a paper napkin, was Maria, a young maid who had worked at Victoria’s estate for the past two years.
"She fired me the morning after the gala," Maria said, her voice shaking. "She told all the staff that if we spoke to the police, her lawyers would ruin our lives. I’m an immigrant, Mr. Arthur. I can't afford a lawyer."
"I will protect you," Arthur promised, sliding his own lawyer's business card across the table. "I will pay for your legal fees, your rent, whatever you need. Just tell me what happened in that house."
Maria wiped a tear from her cheek. "It was horrible. When you first left, she kept Lily upstairs. But then the child started crying for you. Victoria hated the noise. She said Lily was ruining her social events. So she moved her to the old wine cellar."
Arthur felt physically sick. "The cellar."
"Yes. She took the bulb out of the ceiling. She told me to feed her only canned soup, once a day, in a tin bowl that wouldn't break if dropped in the dark. I tried to sneak her bread and blankets, but Victoria installed a camera in the hallway. I’m so sorry I didn't call the police sooner. I was terrified."
"You don't need to apologize to me," Arthur said softly. "You kept my daughter alive. Do you have any proof?"
May you like
Maria reached into her purse and pulled out a small USB drive. "I recorded the security camera feeds on my phone. The ones showing Victoria locking the heavy deadbolt from the outside. The ones showing her wearing her diamonds while Lily was crying in the dark."
Arthur took the drive. It felt heavier than gold. It was the weapon that would finally destroy Victoria Sterling.
