"And shut down that helicopter.
Nobody touches it until the authorities arrive."
The guests began murmuring.
Someone in the back whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear: "She really did it?"
Margot spun toward the voice.
"I did nothing.
This is insane.
My husband is being manipulated by a child who mucks out horse stalls."
The stable boy flinched at the words but didn't step back.
"I saw what I saw," he said quietly.
"Shut up." Margot's voice cracked.
"You don't get to speak.
You don't get to stand here in front of these people and —"
"Margot." Conrad's voice cut through her like a blade.
"Enough."
She stopped.
He turned to the boy.
"What's your name?"
The boy blinked.
Nobody had asked him that in a long time.
"Beckett, sir."
"Beckett.
Tell me exactly what you saw last night.
Don't leave anything out."
Beckett wiped the bl0od from his upper lip with the back of his hand.
His fingers were still shaking.
"I couldn't sleep.
I went to check on the horses around midnight.
That's when I saw the hangar light on.
I thought someone forgot to turn it off.
So I walked over."
"And?"
"A man was kneeling beside the helicopter.
He had the fuel panel open.
There was a woman standing next to him.
She was holding something.
A package.
Small.
Wrapped in black plastic."
"Did you see her face?" Conrad asked.
"Yes, sir.
It was her." He looked at Margot.
"She told him to make sure it was placed near the main fuel line.
She said it needed to look like engine failure."
Margot's hand flew to her chest.
"That's a lie.
I was in bed all night."
"Were you?" Conrad tilted his head.
"Because I came to our room at 1 a.m.
You weren't there.
I assumed you were in the kitchen."
"I was.
I was getting water."
"For an hour?"
Her mouth opened and closed.
Nothing came out.
Gerald returned, walking quickly across the lawn.
He leaned close to Conrad's ear.
"Sir, we found the pilot.
He was trying to leave through the south gate.
He had a bag packed."
"Where is he now?"
"In the security office.
He's asking to talk to you."
Conrad looked at Margot.
"Come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere with —"
"Come with me.
Or I'll have Gerald escort you."
She didn't move.
Gerald stepped forward.
She moved.
---
Inside the security office, the pilot sat with his hands cuffed to a metal chair.
He was a tall man, early forties, clean-shaven.
He had flown Conrad's aircraft for six years.
His name was Fletcher.
When Conrad walked in with Margot, Fletcher looked at her first.
Then at the floor.
"Talk," Conrad said.
Fletcher raised his eyes.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Don't apologize.
Talk."
Fletcher swallowed.
"She came to me three months ago.
Said she wanted out of the marriage.
Said you'd never give her a fair settlement.
Said if something happened to you, the estate would go to her automatically."
"And you agreed to kjll me."
"I didn't — I told her I wouldn't do it.
She offered me two million dollars.
I said no.
Then she came back with five million and a threat."
"What threat?"
"She said she'd tell your business partners that I was flying drunk last year.
That incident over the coast.
She said she had a recording.
I don't know if she did.
But I couldn't lose my license.
I couldn't lose everything."
"So you agreed."
"I agreed to place the device.
I told myself I'd remove it before the flight.
I swear I was going to take it out.
But she changed the departure time.
She moved it up by two hours.
I didn't have time."
Conrad stood very still.
His hands were at his sides.
His face could have been carved from stone.
"Where is the device now?"
"Still inside.
Fuel compartment.
Left side.
It's on a timer.
It would have gone off twenty minutes after takeoff."
Margot's voice came from behind him.
Thin.
Desperate.
"He's lying.
Conrad, he's lying.
I would never —"
Conrad turned to her.
"You called him 'a servant's son' out there.
You said that like you've been saying it your whole life.
Like people who serve us don't matter."
"That's not —"
"You looked at that boy and saw nothing.
Because that's what you think of everyone who isn't useful to you."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Conrad, please.
I'm your wife.
Eleven years.
Don't throw that away over a boy who works in your stables."
"You threw it away the moment you walked into that hangar."
She grabbed his arm.
"I'll sign anything.
I'll leave.
I'll walk away with nothing.
Just don't call the police.
Please.
Don't do that to me."
He looked at her hand on his arm.
Then he looked at her face.
"You weren't going to give me that option on the helicopter, were you?"
She let go.
Conrad picked up the phone on the security desk and dialed.
"Yes.
This is Conrad Ashworth.
I need to report an attempted murd3r at my estate.
I have the suspect and a co-conspirator in custody.
Send whoever you need to send."
He hung up.
Margot sat down in the empty chair beside Fletcher.