Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Cleaned the BalconyMarisol Vega had worked at Aster House for eleven years.
She knew which chandelier bulbs flickered before they failed, which banquet chairs wobbled, and which service doors stuck during humid weather.
She also knew Marcus Vale.
That was why she had been afraid to speak.
When Detective Brooks first interviewed the housekeeping staff, Marisol said only that she had been working near the ballroom on the afternoon of the wedding.
It was technically true.
But it was not the whole truth.
Three days later, she called the detective back.
“I need to correct my statement.”
Brooks met her in a private interview room.
Marisol sat with her handbag clutched between both hands.
“My husband says I shouldn't get involved,” she admitted.
“Why?”
“Marcus decides who gets shifts. I need my job.”
Brooks waited.
Marisol looked down.
“On the wedding day, he told me to clear the south balcony before the afternoon toast.”
“What time?”
“Just after two.”
“Was that unusual?”
“Yes. We always kept an attendant near the upstairs corridor during events, especially when children were present.”
“Did he explain why?”
“He said the photographer needed the area.”
Brooks made a note.
“Did you speak to the photographer?”
Marisol nodded.
“The next morning. After I saw the news.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me she never requested a cleared balcony.”
Brooks looked up.
“Continue.”
Marisol took a deep breath.
“Marcus also told me to put a temporary maintenance sign on the service door.”
“Was there maintenance scheduled?”
“No.”
“Did you see anyone working on the camera?”
Marisol hesitated.
“Marcus had the little control panel open near the security closet. I asked if something was wrong.”
“What did he say?”
“He said the camera was being tested and that I should mind my own work.”
She rubbed her palms together.
“I thought he was being rude. That was all.”
Brooks asked whether she had documented the instruction.
Marisol opened her handbag.
Inside was a folded copy of the afternoon shift sheet.
“I take pictures of our schedules because management changes our hours without warning,” she explained. “This was the one posted before the wedding.”
The sheet listed the normal staffing assignments.
Beside the south balcony, Marisol's name appeared for the two-hour reception period.
Then she showed Brooks a photograph on her phone.
It depicted the same schedule after handwritten changes had been added.
Marisol's assignment was crossed out.
Beneath it, Marcus had written:
South mezzanine—clear by 2:10. No staff until toast complete.
His initials appeared beside the instruction.
Brooks studied the image.
“Can we obtain a copy of the original?”
“I kept it.”
“Why?”
Marisol's eyes filled.
“Because after that baby fell, Marcus told everyone the balcony had been empty by accident. He said nobody was responsible for watching it.”
She looked at Brooks.
“But he was the one who made it empty.”
The detective asked one final question.
“Did you see Vivienne Cross that afternoon?”
Marisol nodded.
“She came upstairs twice before the ceremony.”
“Did you speak to her?”
“The second time, yes. She asked if the railing was high enough that a child couldn't climb over it.”
Brooks stopped writing.
“What did you say?”
“I told her children should never be left near it without an adult.”
“How did she respond?”
Marisol's voice dropped.
“She smiled.”
The room fell silent.
“Then she asked whether a fall from that height would always be fatal.”
Brooks's expression changed.
“Those exact words?”
Marisol nodded.
“I remember because I thought she was worried about safety. I told her I didn't know and that nobody should ever take that chance.”
“Did anyone hear the conversation?”
“No.”
“Why didn't you tell us earlier?”
Marisol began crying.
“Because I didn't understand until I saw what happened.”
Brooks gave her a moment.
Then she asked Marisol to repeat the account slowly so it could be formally documented.
That afternoon, Daniel received a call from the detective.
She explained that a staff member had provided new information, although the woman's identity and full statement were not yet available to him.
Daniel listened.
“So someone deliberately cleared the balcony?”
“There's evidence the normal staffing assignment was changed.”
“By Marcus?”
“We're investigating his involvement.”
Daniel remembered Marcus standing beside the broken glass.
We're dealing with a terrible accident.
He remembered the man moving toward the balcony when the police arrived.
And he remembered the photograph from the rehearsal.
“Detective, I think he's helping Vivienne.”
Brooks paused.
“That's one of the possibilities we're examining.”
Daniel glanced toward Lucy, who was sleeping on the sofa with her blanket tucked under her cheek.
“Why would a venue manager help someone hurt a baby?”
“We don't know yet.”
But after the call, Brooks returned to the photographs from the wedding.
She enlarged the image showing Marcus beside Vivienne at the service entrance.
In the man's hand was a folded document.
Only one corner was visible.
It bore the dark-blue Aster House corporate logo.
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And beneath the logo were two words:
Shareholder Meeting.
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