He shoved the nearest security officer and bolted up the steps.
Harold followed.
Beatrice tried to run, but Elena grabbed her by the sleeve.
“You were going to kill me too!”
Beatrice slapped her.
Elena tackled her against the table.
Ledgers scattered across the floor. Cassette tapes rolled beneath cabinets. The old brass key slipped from Adrian’s neck when Beatrice clawed at him, and it struck the stone with a bright metallic ring.
Then a deeper sound answered from behind the far wall.
A lock released.
A concealed panel opened.
Beyond it stood a smaller room.
Inside was a steel trunk, a reel-to-reel recorder, and a chair.
On the chair sat a human skeleton.
A single bullet hole marked the center of its skull.
Harold stopped halfway up the stairs.
