Preston's face reddened. "You don't get to walk into my business and demand anything." Celeste stepped between them just enough to prevent the argument from becoming physical. She identified herself as counsel for the interested trust beneficiaries and displayed the relevant court order. A board representative who had joined the gathering examined the document and quietly told Preston that the inspection had to proceed.
Preston seemed not to hear. His eyes had fixed on Altha's brass key, visible when she adjusted her handbag. For an instant, a flicker of alarm crossed his face, so quick that only someone watching him closely might have noticed. Altha saw it, and she understood that he knew more about the old dedication wall than he had ever admitted.
"You're wasting everybody's time," he said. "Security, escort her out." Malcolm Harris, the taller guard who had accompanied Altha to the doors on Tuesday, remained still. He had reviewed the recording of their first encounter and knew he had acted under an order that now looked indefensible. He glanced at the court officer beside Celeste and said quietly, "Sir, we have a legal instruction to allow the inspection. I won't interfere with it."
Preston turned on him with the same rage he had directed at Miriam. "Then you can collect your belongings tomorrow." Malcolm swallowed, but he did not move. The younger guard, Peter, stepped back beside him. It was a small moment, almost invisible amid the spectators, yet it changed the balance of the room more than Preston understood. Men who had once accepted his commands without question had begun asking whether those commands were lawful.
At the restricted corridor on the upper level, Elias's inspection team found the dedication wall behind a locked service door. The photograph Miriam remembered hung beneath a protective cover, with a brass plaque mounted beside it. The room smelled of old carpet, paint, and boxes of seasonal decorations. The engineer studied the panel and confirmed that its fastenings were consistent with the older building plans.
Before the team could begin documenting the opening, three men appeared at the far end of the corridor. Their dark suits did not carry hotel identification, and one held a portable radio bearing the insignia of Blackstone Security Services. The leader demanded to know who had authorized anyone to enter, ignoring the court officer who displayed the order. Elias recognized the man's voice from the storage attack, though he could not be certain without a closer look.
"This area is under a court-directed inspection," the officer explained. "You need to step aside." The man responded by reaching toward the photographer's camera. Elias moved between them and asked him not to touch the equipment. The encounter turned physical when the second man shoved one of the officers against a storage cart, knocking a box to the floor.