Chapter 7: Someone Had Been in My Mother's Room
I called Daniel before I even finished looking at the photograph.
He answered on the first ring.
"Emily, what's wrong?""
"Someone's been inside the house. They sent me a picture of Mom's bedroom.""
I forwarded the image to him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Daniel said, "Do not go there alone.""
"I'm not going to sit here while someone searches the house.""
"I understand, but we need to be careful. Has Vanessa responded to the preservation notice?""
"No.""
"Then let me make a call. I'll contact the attorney handling her side and request immediate confirmation that the property and all potentially relevant records will be preserved.""
"What if they destroy the folder before you get an answer?""
"Emily, listen to me. If someone has entered that room to remove evidence, we need to document what happened. A confrontation could make that more difficult.""
I looked at the photograph again.
The open window was on the second floor, above the rose garden. My father had installed a security lock on it years ago after a storm damaged the frame.
Vanessa had complained about the lock because it made the window difficult to open.
I remembered her saying that during the first summer after she married Dad.
Your father treats this place like a museum, she had muttered. Nothing can ever change.
At the time, I had thought she was talking about the furniture.
Now I wondered whether she had been talking about the secrets.
"Can you come get me?"" I asked.
"Yes. Give me twenty minutes.""
While I waited, I called the number that had contacted me.
It went straight to voicemail.
I tried again.
Nothing.
The unknown caller had given me no name, no explanation, and no evidence that she knew anything about my mother's death. Yet she had known about the blue folder.
That detail was too specific to ignore.
At 8:42 p.m., Daniel arrived outside my apartment.
He had brought a colleague, a property attorney named Sarah Mitchell, who had agreed to help document the situation and coordinate any lawful access to the house.
Sarah listened as I explained the photograph and the anonymous call.
"Has anyone confirmed that the image was taken tonight?"" she asked.
"No.""
"Then we shouldn't assume it was. But we'll preserve the original message and its metadata if available. Daniel, have you heard from Vanessa's attorney?""
"Not yet.""
Sarah looked at me.
"We can request an immediate inspection through counsel. If there is a credible risk of evidence being destroyed, Daniel can discuss emergency legal options. But we won't break in or enter without appropriate authority.""
I nodded reluctantly.
"I understand.""
We drove to my father's house.
The street was quiet. Most of the neighboring houses had their lights on, and a dog barked somewhere behind a wooden fence.
When we pulled into the driveway, every light inside the house was dark except for the lamp in the upstairs hallway.
The window in my mother's bedroom was closed.
I stared at it through the windshield.
"That wasn't how it looked in the photograph," I whispered.
Sarah took a picture of the exterior.
Daniel remained beside the car while he called Vanessa's attorney again.
I walked to the front gate, stopping before I reached the porch.
The suitcase I had left there two days earlier was gone.
So were the clothes that had spilled across the steps.
Vanessa had either brought them inside or thrown them away.
I didn't care about the suitcase anymore.
I cared about the wooden box.
A light suddenly came on behind the front door.
Vanessa opened it before we had a chance to knock.
She wore a silk robe, and her hair was pinned neatly behind her head. She looked at Daniel, then Sarah, and finally me.
"What is this?""
Sarah stepped forward.
"We're here to discuss access to Emily's property and the preservation of documents that may be relevant to an ongoing financial investigation.""
Vanessa laughed.
"At nine o'clock at night?""
"Your attorney has been contacted," Sarah replied.
"We need confirmation that no documents or personal property are being removed or destroyed.""
Vanessa looked directly at me.
"You're becoming obsessed, Emily.""
"Someone sent me a photograph of Mom's bedroom with the window open.""
Her face changed.
Only for a second.
Then she smiled.
"Perhaps you should stop encouraging strangers to send you things.""
My stomach tightened.
"You know about the photograph.""
"I know you're looking for trouble.""
Daniel stepped between us.
"Vanessa, have you or anyone acting on your behalf entered Elizabeth's bedroom to remove documents?""
She lifted her chin.
"This is my home.""
"The deed is registered in Emily's name.""
"And I have legal rights as the surviving spouse.""
"That doesn't answer the question.""
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
"No one has removed anything.""
I studied her face.
"Then let me see the room.""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because I said no.""
Sarah spoke calmly.
"Vanessa, refusing access tonight is not necessarily unlawful, but given the circumstances, we recommend that you preserve the room and its contents until counsel can agree on an inspection.""
Vanessa turned toward her.
"I don't take orders from strangers.""
"Then communicate through your attorney," Sarah replied.
For a moment, I thought Vanessa might slam the door again.
Instead, she looked at me with a strange, almost pitying expression.
"You should have left when I told you to.""
I felt my heart pound.
"What does that mean?""
"It means your father spent years trying to protect you from things you were never meant to understand.""
"Did you know my mother was investigating your company?""
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
"Your mother had no idea what she was dealing with.""
The words came out before she could stop them.
Silence settled over the porch.
Daniel slowly lowered his phone.
Sarah stared at Vanessa.
I felt the world narrow to a single point.
"What did you just say?""
Vanessa's lips parted.
Then she stepped backward.
"I meant that she was confused about financial matters. She was never involved in my business.""
"You just said she had no idea what she was dealing with.""
"You're twisting my words.""
"Then explain them.""
Vanessa gripped the doorframe.
"Get off my property.""
I looked at the house behind her.
"My property.""
She slammed the door.
This time, nobody moved for several seconds.
Sarah broke the silence.
"Daniel, document everything. Especially the statement about Elizabeth.""
Daniel nodded.
I stared at the closed door.
Vanessa had made a mistake.
For the first time, she had reacted before choosing her words.
And she had revealed something she should not have known.
As we returned to the car, my phone vibrated.
Another message from the unknown number.
You heard her, didn't you? She knows exactly what happened.
I typed back immediately.
Who are you?
The response arrived within seconds.
Someone who should have spoken eleven years ago.
Then another message appeared.
Your mother left the blue folder with the only person she trusted to protect it.
I held my breath.
Who?
The typing indicator appeared, disappeared, then returned.
Finally, a name came through.
*Daniel Brooks.*
I slowly turned toward the man standing beside the car.
My father's attorney.
May you like
The man who had promised to help me uncover the truth.
And the man who had apparently been holding a secret about my mother for eleven years.
