Chapter 6 - TENSION AT THE TABLE
By six o'clock on Christmas Eve evening, the Calder house on Mount Washington was transformed into a glowing beacon of festive warmth. Heavy snow fell softly against the bay windows, framing the lit tree that stood in the corner of the living room.
Inside, the scent of fried smelts, boiling pierogies, and roasted garlic filled the air. Walter Calder sat in his favorite leather armchair by the fireplace, his knees aching from the damp cold, wearing a fresh pressed shirt and tie.
Lena was bustling around the dining table, adjusting the linen napkins, her engagement ring flashing under the soft illumination of the chandelier. She looked radiant, though an underlying nervous energy fluttered beneath her smile.
"Mom," Lena called out toward the kitchen, "did you put out the silver serving spoons?"
"They're right here, sweetheart," Corinne said, stepping around the heavy plastic curtain that separated the dining room from the gutted kitchen space. She looked tired, her eyes darting occasionally toward the front door.
"Stop looking out the window, Mom," Lena said, her voice sharp. "She's not coming. We told her not to come."
Walter adjusted his glasses and looked down at his shoes. "It feels wrong, Lena. Thirty-four years. Your sister has never missed a Christmas Eve."
"She brought this on herself, Dad!" Lena snapped, setting down a gravy boat with unnecessary force. "She couldn't just be happy for me. The moment Miles proposed, she started looking at him like he was a criminal. She questioned his business, she questioned his plans, she questioned him. Miles has been nothing but incredible to this family!"
Miles walked out from the back hallway, wearing a tailored charcoal sweater, his hair neatly styled. He carried a bottle of expensive champagne and four crystal flutes.
"Let's not let gray clouds hover over tonight," Miles said with his trademark megawatt smile, placing a gentle hand on Lena’s waist. "Mara is going through a difficult period in her life. It’s hard for a woman who is so consumed by her career to see her younger sister find true happiness. We should pity her, not be angry at her."
Corinne offered a weak smile. "You're very understanding, Miles."
"I try to be, Corinne," Miles said smoothly, popping the champagne cork with a soft, controlled pop. He poured four glasses, handing one to Walter, one to Corinne, and one to Lena. "To the Calder family. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. Next Christmas, we’ll be sitting in the most breathtaking kitchen in Pittsburgh."
They raised their glasses.
Just as the crystal rims touched, a strange, low noise rattled through the floorboards—a deep, metallic thunk that echoed from the basement directly beneath their feet, followed by the faint sound of popping plaster behind the plastic sheeting.
Walter froze, holding his glass midway to his lips. "What was that?"
Miles didn't blink. "Just the old steam radiator pipes expanding in the cold weather, Walter. This house has character."
"No," Walter said, frowning as he looked down at his feet. "That didn't sound like steam pipes. That sounded like structural settling."
"Dad, please," Lena groaned. "Don't start acting like Mara."
Miles chuckled, stepping toward the table to carve the roast beef. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."
Outside on Grandview Avenue, three black unmarked police sedans pulled up silently against the curb, their engines idling in the falling snow.
Inside the lead car, Detective Sarah Miller adjusted her radio. "Target is inside. Subject is Miles Rourke Brennan, wanted on active felony warrants out of Butler and Erie counties. Wait for the signal from the informant inside before moving to secure the exits."
Two houses down, Mara Calder stepped out of her utility truck.
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She wasn't wearing her work clothes tonight. She wore a dark wool coat, her hair pulled back neatly, and under her arm, she carried a thick, black leather accordion folder.
She walked up the snowy front pathway toward the house where she had grown up, her heart pounding like a sledgehammer against her ribs, but her footing completely firm.
