Chapter 9: The Name on the Keycard
The hallway fell silent once again.
Lucas looked at the hotel manager, hardly daring to breathe.
"A member of the wedding party?"
The manager nodded.
"According to our electronic access log."
Daniel frowned.
"Can keycards be borrowed?"
"They can."
"Can they be stolen?"
"They can."
"So this doesn't prove who actually entered the security room."
"No," the manager admitted. "It only tells us which keycard was used."
Lucas folded his arms.
"Whose keycard was it?"
The manager hesitated.
"I'd rather discuss that privately."
"No."
Lucas's voice was calm but firm.
"Everyone standing here is already involved."
The manager glanced around before taking a slow breath.
"The keycard was issued to..."
He looked down at the tablet one last time.
"...Emily Carter."
Victoria's maid of honor.
Victoria's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Emily?"
Daniel looked at Victoria.
"She's been with you all morning."
Victoria shook her head immediately.
"No."
"What do you mean?"
"She left my room for almost twenty minutes."
Lucas turned toward the manager.
"When was the keycard used?"
"11:16 a.m."
Victoria closed her eyes.
"That's exactly when Emily said she was going downstairs to pick up my bouquet."
Daniel frowned.
"Did she come back with flowers?"
Victoria stopped to think.
"No..."
Her voice grew quieter.
"A wedding planner brought the bouquet."
Lucas exchanged a look with Daniel.
"So Emily never picked it up."
The realization settled heavily over the room.
Lucas asked, "Where is she now?"
The manager looked toward the ballroom.
"She was seen speaking with guests a few minutes ago."
Victoria immediately shook her head.
"No."
Lucas looked at her.
"I need to talk to her."
"So do I."
Without another word, they walked toward the ballroom together.
As they entered the grand hall, nearly two hundred guests turned to look at them.
The musicians had packed away their instruments.
The officiant stood quietly near the altar.
Whispers filled the room.
"What's happening?"
"Is the wedding canceled?"
"Did someone get sick?"
Lucas ignored the questions.
His eyes searched the crowd until he spotted Emily near one of the side windows.
She was laughing politely with two relatives.
When she saw Lucas and Victoria approaching, her smile faded.
"There you are!" she said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Everyone's worried."
Victoria stopped a few feet away.
"Emily..."
Something in her tone made Emily's expression change.
"What's wrong?"
Lucas spoke first.
"Were you in the hotel security office this morning?"
Emily blinked.
"What?"
"The security office."
"I don't even know where it is."
The hotel manager stepped forward.
"Your keycard was used to enter it."
Emily stared at him.
"My keycard?"
"Yes."
"That's impossible."
Lucas watched her carefully.
"Did anyone else have access to it?"
Emily instinctively reached into the small silver purse hanging from her shoulder.
She froze.
Her face went pale.
"My keycard..."
She searched frantically through the purse.
Lipstick.
Phone.
Compact mirror.
Nothing else.
"It's gone."
Daniel quietly observed the scene.
"When did you last see it?"
Emily looked confused.
"This morning."
"Where?"
"In the bridal suite."
Victoria frowned.
"You had it before makeup started."
Emily nodded.
"I clipped it inside my purse."
Lucas asked, "Did you leave your purse unattended?"
Emily thought for a moment.
"Only once."
"When?"
"When Victoria asked me to check on the flower girls."
Victoria slowly nodded.
"I remember."
Emily looked increasingly anxious.
"I left my purse in the bridal suite."
"For how long?"
"Maybe five minutes."
Lucas exchanged another glance with Daniel.
Five minutes.
Long enough.
Daniel spoke quietly.
"So someone could've taken the keycard..."
"...used it..."
"...and returned it later."
Emily looked horrified.
"But why?"
No one answered.
Because everyone was wondering the same thing.
Lucas noticed something else.
Emily's hands were shaking.
Not the subtle nervousness of someone answering difficult questions.
She looked genuinely frightened.
Victoria reached for her friend's arm.
"Emily..."
Emily suddenly pulled away.
"I swear I didn't do anything."
"I know."
"No..."
Emily's voice cracked.
"You don't understand."
Lucas stepped closer.
"Then help us understand."
Emily looked around at the guests.
Her breathing became uneven.
"I can't."
"Why?"
She looked directly at Victoria.
"Because if I tell him..."
She glanced at Lucas.
"...everything changes."
Lucas felt his heartbeat quicken.
"What are you talking about?"
Emily closed her eyes.
"I promised."
Victoria looked completely confused.
"What promise?"
Emily whispered,
"I promised someone I'd never tell you."
Lucas had heard enough promises for one day.
Emma's promise.
Victoria's promise.
Now Emily's.
He spoke firmly.
"Who made you promise?"
Emily slowly opened her eyes.
There were tears in them now.
She looked at Lucas with an expression filled with guilt.
"Emma."
Lucas stared at her.
"What?"
Victoria's face turned white.
"You knew Emma?"
Emily nodded.
"I did."
Victoria looked stunned.
"You never told me."
"I wasn't allowed to."
Lucas felt as though the room were spinning.
Another person from Emma's past.
Another secret.
Another promise.
How many people had been carrying pieces of his late wife's final wishes?
Before anyone could ask another question, a voice echoed from the ballroom entrance.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned.
A man in his late sixties stood in the doorway.
He wore a dark gray suit and carried a worn leather briefcase.
Lucas didn't recognize him.
But Victoria did.
The color drained from her face.
"No..."
She whispered.
"It can't be."
The man looked directly at her.
"It has been a long time, Victoria."
Then he turned to Lucas.
"My name is Richard Holloway."
He slowly opened his briefcase.
"I was Emma Bennett's attorney."
The room fell silent.
Richard's expression was solemn.
"I've been looking for all of you..."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the room.
"...because Emma left behind one final set of instructions."
May you like
And according to those instructions...
Today was the day they were supposed to be revealed.
