Chapter 3 — Someone Removed Samuel Three Days Earlier
The event committee had several members with the initials M.E.
Margaret Ellis.
Martin Evans.
And Melissa Eaton.
Marcus checked the planning software.
The digital seating system preserved every edit.
Samuel Vale had been added six weeks earlier.
Invitation status:
ACCEPTED.
Daniel leaned closer.
“He accepted?”
Marcus nodded.
Then, three days before the dinner, Samuel was removed.
Daniel’s name was moved from Table 22 into Samuel’s seat.
“Who made the change?”
Marcus opened the audit history.
The account belonged to:
MELISSA EATON — EVENT COORDINATOR.
Margaret frowned.
“Why would Melissa remove him?”
Melissa Eaton was brought into the room.
She was sixty-three.
Elegant.
Calm.
Until she saw Samuel’s place card.
Her face changed.
“Where did you find that?”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Apparently that’s the question of the evening.”
Melissa looked toward Margaret.
“You weren’t supposed to see it yet.”
Margaret stood.
“You removed Samuel from my table.”
Melissa nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I found out who he was.”
Margaret’s voice sharpened.
“And?”
Melissa looked uncomfortable.
Samuel had nominated Margaret for the community-service award.
Daniel froze.
“Samuel nominated her?”
Melissa nodded.
Six months earlier, the committee received an anonymous nomination describing Margaret’s decades of volunteer work.
After she was selected, the nominator revealed his identity.
Samuel Vale.
He asked for one thing.
A seat at Margaret’s table.
“Then why remove him?” Daniel asked.
Melissa looked toward Margaret.
“Because your father told me Samuel was dangerous.”
Margaret froze.
“My father?”
Robert Ellis was eighty-eight years old.
And sitting only two rooms away.