CHAPTER 20 #3
His van was locked under his control during the preview.
He remained privately unaccounted for until shortly before his 7:05 speech.
No other suspect carried the full combination.
Motive.
Access.
Method.
Material.
Timing.
False statement.
Romy looked at Ellis.
“You have him.”
His face stayed unreadable.
“We have a strong chain.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“Murder cases still dislike arrogance.”
Romy almost smiled.
“That sounded like Anika.”
“I am learning.”
Anika looked satisfied.
The fibre analyst left.
Romy remained behind the floor line.
She did not need to touch the felt.
That mattered.
Once, she would have wanted the object in her hands.
To turn it.
Feel the weave.
Understand the tear personally.
Now the photographs were enough.
The experts were enough.
Proper process was not distance from the truth.
It was how the truth survived contact with everyone who wanted it to say something convenient.
Ellis gathered the reports.
“We are bringing Marcus in.”
“Arrest?”
“Interview first.”
“Will you tell him about the tear match?”
“Yes.”
“Ruth?”
“Yes.”
“Financial motive?”
“Yes.”
“Charcoal?”
“Yes.”
“6:51?”
“Yes.”
“Notebook?”
“Yes.”
Ellis looked at her.
“You are counting.”
“I like complete sets.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
Romy took out her phone.
Leo had messaged twice.
ANYTHING?
Then:
I AM BEING PATIENT PROFESSIONALLY.
Romy smiled.
She typed:
Felt is a physical match. Exact torn-edge correspondence.
Three dots appeared immediately.
Then:
OH.
A second message followed.
THAT SEEMS VERY BAD FOR MARCUS.
Romy replied:
Correctly stated.
Leo sent a thumbs-up.
Ellis watched.
“You told him.”
“He found the photograph that moved the timeline.”
“He is not police.”
“He is Pattern House.”
The answer came without thought. Pattern House was not just her anymore. Leo mattered inside the name now. That was frightening. Also right.
They returned to Asterleigh late afternoon because Ellis wanted one last route reconstruction before Marcus’s formal interview.
The Blue Study remained controlled.
The service corridor smelled faintly of dust and old paint.
Romy stood where Marcus had likely stood after 6:52.
Recess on one side.
Door to the Blue Study.
Transfer grille access.
Enough space to leave the warmer.
Enough privacy for someone who knew the event flow.
Ellis timed the route.
From service recess to courtyard doors, moving quickly but not running.
Under a minute.
From the Blue Study main door to the sponsor area.
Similar.
Marcus could act and still appear publicly by 7:04.
That was not new.
Now it had physical weight.
Ellis opened the room plan.
“If he placed the charcoal before Sebastian entered.”
“He could leave the room ready.”
“Yes.”
“If after Sebastian entered?”
“He could manipulate from the service side.”
“Yes.”
“Either way, he does not need to be present when Sebastian collapses.”
“No.”
Romy looked into the Blue Study.
Writing desk.
Fireplace.
Plate-warmer location marked from evidence photographs.
Sebastian entered at 6:57.
Sophie saw him alive around 7:01.
At 7:03, he texted Vivian.
Found the real story.
Marcus was publicly visible by 7:04:31.
Something still resisted.
Ellis noticed.
“What?”
“If the charcoal was already burning when Sebastian entered, why stay?”
“He did not know.”
“For four minutes?”
“Possibly.”
“He texted Vivian at 7:03.”
“Yes.”
“So he was coherent.”
“Yes.”
“If he smelled something.”
“Carbon monoxide itself is odorless.”
“I know. But charcoal burning can produce other cues.”
“Yes. Potentially.”
“Heat. Smoke. Something.”
“Potentially.”
Romy looked at the writing desk.
Sebastian had not simply stepped inside and collapsed.
He stayed long enough to stand near the desk at 7:01.
Long enough to send a text at 7:03.
Maybe he thought Marcus was coming back.
Maybe he had been told to wait.
Maybe he was examining documents.
Maybe the murder method depended not only on poisoning the room but on keeping Sebastian interested enough to remain.
“What was he doing in there?”
“We do not know.”
“He expected full provenance.”
“Yes.”
“Then maybe he found something.”
“Possibly.”
“The real documents.”
“Possibly.”
“Something Marcus left for him.”
“Possibly.”
Romy hated the repetition.
Ellis closed the plan.
“There is still a behavioral gap.”
“Meaning?”
“We can show how the room became dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“We can place Marcus with the necessary materials.”
“Yes.”
“We can show motive.”
“Yes.”
“We can show he lied.”
“Yes.”
“But Sebastian was not trapped.”
“No.”
“The door opened normally.”
“Yes.”
“He was conscious for several minutes.”
“Yes.”
“He entered willingly.”
“Yes.”
Romy looked toward the desk again.
Sebastian had been chasing the truth of the panel.
He had given Marcus a deadline.
He expected a meeting at 6:55.
Perhaps whatever held him in the Blue Study was the same thing that drew him there.
Evidence.
The promise of it.
Full provenance, not sales story.
Ellis followed her gaze.
Then asked the one question the torn felt did not answer.
“Why did Sebastian willingly stay in that room long enough for the gas to take effect?”