Chapter 1 - The Boy Who Pointed at His Rescuer
“No. I—”
Anna never finished.
Noah’s small hand tightened around Ethan’s shirt.
His body was still trembling from the cold shock of the pool. Water ran from his blond hair into his eyes, but he did not wipe it away.
Instead, he lifted one finger.
For half a second, he pointed toward Eleanor.
Anna saw it.
Ethan saw it.
And Eleanor definitely saw it.
Then Noah’s finger moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Until it pointed directly at Anna.
“Anna dropped me in.”
The courtyard became unnaturally quiet.
Anna stared at him.
Minutes earlier, she had watched his little body disappear beneath turquoise water.
She had thrown away the tray in her hands, run across the stone and dived after him without thinking about herself.
She still felt the moment she found him underwater.
His shirt floating upward.
His arms moving without direction.
His terrified fingers closing around her sleeve.
She had carried him back into air.
He had coughed against her chest.
He had clung to her.
Now he was accusing her.
“Noah.”
Anna’s voice barely worked.
“Sweetheart, I didn’t—”
“Enough.”
Ethan’s tone stopped her.
Anna looked at him.
She had worked in the Mercer household for fourteen months.
She had seen Ethan angry.
She had never seen him like this.
His face had gone almost expressionless.
That was worse than shouting.
Eleanor remained kneeling beside him, soaked crimson fabric pooling around her.
“She pushed him,” Eleanor whispered. “I saw everything.”
Anna turned toward her.
“You—”
Noah flinched.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
But Anna saw it.
She stopped speaking.
Eleanor saw that too.
Something passed between the two women.
Ethan noticed.
“What?”
Neither answered.
Ethan crouched in front of Noah.
“Look at me.”
Noah did.
“Did Anna put you in the pool?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“Did she do it accidentally?”
“No.”
Anna felt the second answer differently.
There was something wrong with Noah’s voice.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Precision.
As though he had practiced the sentence.
Ethan asked:
“Did she push you?”
Noah’s eyes flicked toward Eleanor.
Only once.
“Yes.”
Ethan stood.
“Anna, step away from him.”
The words hurt more than Anna expected.
She slowly released Noah.
The boy immediately grabbed her sleeve.
Everyone froze.
Noah seemed to realize what he had done.
He released her.
Ethan saw it.
Eleanor saw it.
Anna looked down at the child.
Noah would not meet her eyes.
Ethan took his son into his arms.
“We’re going inside.”
Eleanor stood.
Anna remained kneeling beside the pool.
Water gathered beneath her knees.
Broken porcelain from the tea service lay scattered across the pale stone.
A pastry floated near the pool edge.
Evidence of what had actually happened.
But evidence could not speak.
Apparently Noah could.
And he had chosen to lie.
Ethan carried him toward the mansion.
Eleanor followed.
At the doorway, Noah looked back.
Anna expected guilt.
Fear.
Maybe apology.
Instead, Noah stared directly at her and pressed one finger against his lips.
Quiet.
Then he disappeared inside.
Anna remained motionless.
Her heart began beating harder.
Because she suddenly remembered something Noah had said that morning.
He had found her arranging flowers in the breakfast room.
He had looked toward the doorway to make sure they were alone.
Then whispered:
“If something bad happens today, don’t believe what I say.”
Anna had laughed gently.
“What bad thing?”
Noah did not answer.
Instead he asked:
“Can someone tell a lie to save somebody?”
Anna had assumed it was a question from a seven-year-old imagination.
Now she understood it had been a warning.
She rushed toward the mansion.
Before she reached the door, her shoe struck something beneath the overturned silver tray.
A folded piece of paper.
Dry.
Which meant it had been underneath the tray before Anna threw it.
She opened it.
Childish handwriting.
Three lines.
ANNA,
WHEN DAD COMES, DON’T TELL HIM ABOUT THE RED ROOM.
IF I SAY YOU HURT ME, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
Anna stared at the final sentence.
Below it, Noah had drawn four stick figures.
Ethan.
Noah.
Anna.
And Eleanor.
There was an X over Eleanor.
But beside Anna, Noah had drawn a small red circle.
May you like
Inside the circle were two words:
SHE’S NEXT.
