I froze on the attic floor.<\/p>\n
The footsteps below were slow.<\/p>\n
One.<\/p>\n
Two.<\/p>\n
Three.<\/p>\n
Then silence.<\/p>\n
I held my breath.<\/p>\n
The house had settled many times before.<\/p>\n
Old pipes knocked.<\/p>\n
Floorboards shifted.<\/p>\n
Wind pushed against the windows.<\/p>\n
But this was different.<\/p>\n
Someone had opened the front door.<\/p>\n
I closed the notebook.<\/p>\n
Then I heard Beatrice.<\/p>\n
\u201cClara?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice came from downstairs.<\/p>\n
I moved quickly.<\/p>\n
I put the notebook beneath my sweater and descended the stairs.<\/p>\n
Beatrice was standing in the hallway.<\/p>\n
She was holding the back of her chair for support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you awake?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart hammered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did I.\u201d<\/p>\n
We listened.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
I checked the front door.<\/p>\n
It was locked.<\/p>\n
The deadbolt was still engaged.<\/p>\n
I looked at Beatrice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you lock it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore bed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I checked the windows.<\/p>\n
All closed.<\/p>\n
Then I noticed the mud.<\/p>\n
A thin smear beside the back door.<\/p>\n
Not much.<\/p>\n
Just enough.<\/p>\n
Someone had been inside.<\/p>\n
But there was no sign of forced entry.<\/p>\n
I called the police.<\/p>\n
They arrived within twenty minutes.<\/p>\n
They searched the property.<\/p>\n
Nothing appeared missing.<\/p>\n
No broken locks.<\/p>\n
No damaged windows.<\/p>\n
No footprints beyond the single muddy mark.<\/p>\n
One officer asked whether anyone had reason to enter the house.<\/p>\n
I thought about Julian.<\/p>\n
Then I thought about the letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer wrote something down.<\/p>\n
\u201cChange the locks.\u201d<\/p>\n
We did.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I told Harrison everything.<\/p>\n
He asked me to bring the notebook.<\/p>\n
I did.<\/p>\n
He read it slowly.<\/p>\n
There were no direct accusations.<\/p>\n
Only entries.<\/p>\n
Names.<\/p>\n
Dates.<\/p>\n
Payments.<\/p>\n
Some were labeled as donations.<\/p>\n
Others were connected to property repairs.<\/p>\n
Several addresses belonged to houses Arthur had owned before selling them.<\/p>\n
At the back of the notebook, a column of numbers appeared beside initials.<\/p>\n
One set of initials repeated.<\/p>\n
E.H.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvelyn Hayes,\u201d Harrison said.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison looked at the final page.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they come for the house, do not trust anyone who says they are acting for the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was written before Arthur died?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long before?\u201d<\/p>\n
The date was written in the margin.<\/p>\n
Six months.<\/p>\n
Harrison leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is significant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it means Arthur expected a dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered Beatrice's words.<\/p>\n
Someone would eventually come looking.<\/p>\n
The letter from Evelyn was still in my bag.<\/p>\n
I placed it beside the notebook.<\/p>\n
Harrison read it.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we need to find her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave you a number.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took out my phone.<\/p>\n
My thumb hovered over the call button.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she is dangerous?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison gave me a tired smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we find that out carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
I called.<\/p>\n
The phone rang four times.<\/p>\n
A woman answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this Evelyn Hayes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Clara Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Arthur's dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has been dead for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know about the house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I helped him prepare for what would happen after he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse quickened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he expect?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe expected Julian to come for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew my husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Arthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Julian when he was young.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means he was not the only person Arthur was worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Harrison.<\/p>\n
He motioned for me to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople connected to the old properties.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat properties?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ones in Arthur's notebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know about the notebook?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what it contains.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't over the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I don't know who is listening.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went quiet.<\/p>\n
I looked around the room.<\/p>\n
Suddenly the kitchen felt exposed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll tell you if you promise not to bring Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd don't trust Valerie.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows more than she has admitted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call ended.<\/p>\n
I lowered the phone.<\/p>\n
Harrison stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wants to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe's deciding.\u201d<\/p>\n
That afternoon, another envelope arrived.<\/p>\n
This one had no return address.<\/p>\n
Inside was a photocopy.<\/p>\n
A property deed.<\/p>\n
The name on it was Arthur's.<\/p>\n
The property had been sold decades ago.<\/p>\n
At the bottom, a handwritten note said:<\/p>\n
Ask who received the money.<\/p>\n
I called Harrison.<\/p>\n
He arrived within an hour.<\/p>\n
He studied the document.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis transaction is unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe buyer wasn't a person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA corporation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owned it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will take research.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much research?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to make me uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
We spent the next several days tracing old records.<\/p>\n
The corporations had changed names.<\/p>\n
Some had dissolved.<\/p>\n
Others had been absorbed.<\/p>\n
But the same two attorneys appeared repeatedly.<\/p>\n
The same bank appeared repeatedly.<\/p>\n
And one family name appeared beside several transactions.<\/p>\n
Keller.<\/p>\n
Martin Keller.<\/p>\n
The same notary Julian had brought to the house.<\/p>\n
I stared at the page.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou recognize him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the notary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrison nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Julian didn't choose him randomly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The realization made my skin prickle.<\/p>\n
Martin Keller had known about the property.<\/p>\n
He had known about the transfer.<\/p>\n
He had arrived prepared to witness a document Julian expected Beatrice to sign.<\/p>\n
But why?<\/p>\n
I called Evelyn again.<\/p>\n
She answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found Keller.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nearly dropped the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he has been involved for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to leave the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClara, listen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't understand what you're standing on.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked through the kitchen window.<\/p>\n
The yard was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI own the property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn's voice lowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house isn't valuable because of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Arthur kept something there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you helped him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI helped him hide it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to tilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you write to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I found a copy of the original agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat agreement?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one connecting the house to the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Willow Account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho controlled it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn breathed slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Arthur wasn't stealing money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relief came too quickly.<\/p>\n
Then she continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was protecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the people who believed they owned it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Beatrice.<\/p>\n
She was asleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are they?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of them are dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the others?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of them is still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvelyn?\u201d<\/p>\n
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call ended.<\/p>\n
I stood in the kitchen with the phone in my hand.<\/p>\n
Harrison watched me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said I know the person who wants the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I heard a car door outside.<\/p>\n
I turned toward the window.<\/p>\n
A black sedan was parked across the street.<\/p>\n
The driver was not visible.<\/p>\n
But I recognized the shape of the car.<\/p>\n
It was the same one I had seen outside the house months earlier.<\/p>\n
The night Julian first realized I had discovered the will.<\/p>\n
I stepped closer to the window.<\/p>\n
The sedan pulled away.<\/p>\n
Harrison stood beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you recognize it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I knew where I had seen it before.<\/p>\n
And suddenly I remembered Julian's warning.<\/p>\n
You don't understand.<\/p>\n
Maybe he hadn't been talking about the house.<\/p>\n
Maybe he had been warning me about the people behind it.<\/p>\n
I froze on the attic floor. The footsteps below were slow. One. Two. Three. Then silence. I held my breath. The house had settled many times before. Old pipes knocked. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15551"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15578,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551\/revisions\/15578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}