Falling Into Place Read Free Page B

code into the mailbox keypad. Suddenly, the camera view changed to the very room Linda and Joshua were sitting in. Myles quickly but cautiously made his way to the bookcases, sliding the last bookcase to reveal the hidden door. After a quick check of his notes, he inputted the five-digit code for the wine closet entrance. Linda expected to see Myles fail to gain access to the wine closet, thanks to the biometric sensor neither one of them knew existed. However, much to her shock, Myles opened the door easily. She watched with horror as he disappeared inside. Her mind couldn’t comprehend what it just saw. If Myles got into the wine closet, where...?
    Joshua paused the video feed again. “Now it’s getting exciting, isn’t it? I bet you can’t look away. Unfortunately, from here on in, we don’t have an audio feed, but I think it’s still compelling footage. Let’s watch, shall we?” He restarted the video.
    The video changed views again. This was a room Linda had never seen before, but it wasn’t hard to tell it was the interior of the wine closet. Myles absentmindedly looked over the various bottles before putting down his bag and taking out a few tools, a portable laptop and his notes. Inside her head, Linda was pleading for him to get out of there, impotent to help her love.
    Then she saw him react to something behind him. He raced across the room a moment too late. The wine closet door had sealed. Myles futilely pounded on the door in silent rage on the video, but Linda could lip read the obscenities he screamed as he tried to open it. Again, her mind reeled with questions. Why did the door close? Is he still in there? What happened to him?
    On the video, Myles finally calmed himself and studied the door for a moment. He then went back to his bag, searching for a specific tool. Linda’s dread grew with each passing second. Suddenly, Myles stood up and began looking around the room frantically, pulling his shirt over his nose and mouth. He noticed a vent on the ceiling out of reach as his legs started to buckle. He tried to steady himself against the far wall of the closet, but it was a losing battle. Linda felt her heart sink as she watched the love of her life slide down the wall and collapse into a heap. Was he dead? Good God, did this bastard poison him in there?
    “The rest of the video is rather boring unfortunately,” Joshua said, clicking off the television. As the lights in the room slowly grew brighter, he removed Linda’s feet from his lap and stood up again. “It’s a security feature of my own design, used exclusively in this house. Rather clever, wouldn’t you say? The code allows access to the closet, but without the biometric analysis, the room seals itself after 30 seconds. Then, an analgesic gas sedates whoever is unlucky enough to still be inside.”
    Linda felt a rush of relief as she realized Myles hadn’t perished inside the closet; he was merely sedated. She suddenly felt like there was a chance of them escaping, of leaving this house and forgetting everything about Joshua Constantine. Linda noticed that Joshua had left the wine closet door open for the entire video. With any luck, Myles would regain consciousness soon. Then you’ll get yours, you pompous asshole! She gained courage from that delicious thought.
    “I would’ve made another fortune manufacturing the design if it wasn’t for bleeding heart liberals calling the gas a ‘cruel and unusual’ security measure. Can you imagine?” Joshua said with disgust as he paced in front of her. He locked his menacing gaze on Linda again as he continued, “Doesn’t a man have a right to defend what’s his from lowlife scum and petty con artists?”
    Joshua’s rage seemed to have reached a boiling point. Linda recognized the signs from years of dealing with her own abusive father. She feared Constantine might do something rash so she quietly said “I’m sorry, Joshua. Truly and deeply sorry.” She hoped her mea culpa would