Daniel refused to let me go alone.<\/p>\n
That was the first thing he said after reading the message again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't understand. Whoever sent this knows exactly what we've found. They know about Marianne. They know about the key. They know we're connecting Henry Thomas to the ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Eleanor. You don't. This person has spent years staying ahead of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo have I.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
Clare stood near the doorway, arms folded tightly across her chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe shouldn't go alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe'll set up surveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision was made within minutes.<\/p>\n
Samuel contacted local authorities and arranged for several officers to monitor the old Hudson property. They would remain out of sight. Daniel insisted that I wear a small recording device.<\/p>\n
I agreed.<\/p>\n
But I had one condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Henry Thomas appears, I speak to him first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel didn't like it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he's been trying to tell me something for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you think he'll suddenly trust you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down at the brass key.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Laura did.\u201d<\/p>\n
We drove to Hudson just before sunset.<\/p>\n
The old house looked different in the evening.<\/p>\n
The windows reflected the fading sky.<\/p>\n
The new porch lights were already on.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I could almost imagine the house as it had been when Henry and I lived there.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered what had happened.<\/p>\n
The false account.<\/p>\n
Laura's hidden recording.<\/p>\n
My sister's secret.<\/p>\n
The nursery.<\/p>\n
The ledger.<\/p>\n
So many pieces of our family's history had passed through those walls.<\/p>\n
Daniel parked farther away.<\/p>\n
Samuel took another vehicle.<\/p>\n
Clare remained with the officers.<\/p>\n
I crossed the street alone.<\/p>\n
At least, that was how it looked.<\/p>\n
The front door was unlocked.<\/p>\n
I stepped inside.<\/p>\n
The house was silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry Thomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
I walked into the living room.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Then the lights turned on.<\/p>\n
Not all of them.<\/p>\n
Only the hallway.<\/p>\n
A voice came from upstairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
A man stood at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n
It was the stranger.<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas Vale.<\/p>\n
He looked exactly as he had in the photograph.<\/p>\n
Older than the young man Laura had known, but unmistakably the same person.<\/p>\n
He held no weapon.<\/p>\n
His hands were empty.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted me here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always ask the same question.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause nobody answers it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe because everyone thinks the ledger is the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn't it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer unsettled me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what is?\u201d<\/p>\n
He descended the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ledger proves where the money went.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what proves why?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped several feet away.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura's testimony.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer recordings?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen where is the rest?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart tightened.<\/p>\n
He walked into the old dining room.<\/p>\n
There was a section of wall beneath the window that had been recently repaired.<\/p>\n
He pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour sister found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is behind there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason Henry never wanted anyone to search this house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's voice came through the small device hidden beneath my jacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cEleanor, don't move.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've never been alone either.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tapped the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew the police would come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why bring me here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they need to hear this too.\u201d<\/p>\n
He removed a small tool from his coat.<\/p>\n
Daniel's voice sounded again.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas ignored it.<\/p>\n
He opened the panel.<\/p>\n
Inside was a narrow compartment.<\/p>\n
There was no ledger.<\/p>\n
Instead, there was a cassette player.<\/p>\n
A stack of photographs.<\/p>\n
And a sealed envelope.<\/p>\n
He handed me the envelope.<\/p>\n
It had my name.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho wrote this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
The letter was short.<\/p>\n
\u201cEleanor, if this reaches you, then I failed to protect Clare the way I intended. Do not believe the first person who claims to know what happened. Do not believe the last person either. Listen to everyone, then compare their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
I read the next line.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry Thomas knows what happened after the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
He lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI arrived before the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry stopped you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJessica was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI called for help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn't speak to the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was using a false identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't answer the question.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father had my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe threatened to kill her if I spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you could have gone to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe moved the ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen where did she put it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas looked at the sealed envelope.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere no one would think to look.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened it further.<\/p>\n
Inside was a small photograph.<\/p>\n
It showed my sister standing beside a wooden chest.<\/p>\n
The chest was in the nursery.<\/p>\n
The same chest we had already found.<\/p>\n
But behind the chest was a mirror.<\/p>\n
A large old mirror I remembered.<\/p>\n
It had belonged to my mother.<\/p>\n
I looked at Henry Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
We returned upstairs.<\/p>\n
The mirror was still there.<\/p>\n
The current owner had kept it because it was antique.<\/p>\n
Daniel's team entered the room.<\/p>\n
Samuel immediately examined the frame.<\/p>\n
There was a hidden latch.<\/p>\n
Behind the mirror was a narrow recess.<\/p>\n
Inside was a sealed metal tube.<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas didn't touch it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou open it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled it free.<\/p>\n
The tube contained several folded pages.<\/p>\n
Original ledger pages.<\/p>\n
My hands shook.<\/p>\n
Daniel moved closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are originals.\u201d<\/p>\n
The handwriting and paper matched the original ledger.<\/p>\n
But there were only eleven pages.<\/p>\n
Not enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are the rest?\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas said, \u201cThat's why I brought you here.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to the cassette player.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel inserted the tape.<\/p>\n
Laura's voice filled the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you're hearing this, someone has found the first part.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ledger was divided because Henry discovered I had it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hid the pages in three places.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first was the nursery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second was with Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe third was given to someone I believed would never betray Eleanor.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at Henry Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Victor has the second section.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the third?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura's voice answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe third section is already with Eleanor.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked around.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won't recognize it as evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the tape ended.<\/p>\n
I stared at the machine.<\/p>\n
Daniel replayed it.<\/p>\n
The answer was hidden somewhere in my belongings.<\/p>\n
Something I had carried for years.<\/p>\n
Something connected to Henry.<\/p>\n
Something I had never considered evidence.<\/p>\n
I thought about my wedding documents.<\/p>\n
Photographs.<\/p>\n
Letters.<\/p>\n
My mother's jewelry.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered the old brass clock.<\/p>\n
Henry had given it to me on our tenth anniversary.<\/p>\n
It had always sat on my bedroom shelf.<\/p>\n
I suddenly understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe clock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat clock?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one Henry gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
We searched my storage records.<\/p>\n
The clock had never been discarded.<\/p>\n
After the house sale, I had moved it into a box.<\/p>\n
Ruth had stored it for me.<\/p>\n
It was now in her attic.<\/p>\n
But before we could leave, Henry Thomas spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere's something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe person who sent you the message knows the clock exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
My blood went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that person helped Henry hide it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Thomas looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
Then at Samuel.<\/p>\n
Then at Clare.<\/p>\n
Finally, he looked back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
Daniel refused to let me go alone. That was the first thing he said after reading the message again. \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cI know.\u201d \u201cYou don't understand. Whoever sent this knows exactly … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7143","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\/7143","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=7143"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7178,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7143\/revisions\/7178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}