Chapter 5: The Red Notebook
Arthur turned toward the sound.
“Stay here.””
Nia grabbed his sleeve.
“No.””
“Nia.””
“If there's something in that house about Mom, I'm coming.””
Arthur looked at her.
For a moment, he seemed ready to argue.
Then Marcus stepped beside them.
“I'll go.””
Arthur shook his head.
“No. You stay with Nia.””
Marcus frowned.
“Why?””
“Because if someone is inside that house, I don't know who it is.””
Nia's stomach tightened.
“Someone else?””
Arthur looked at the open front door.
“I locked this house before I left this morning.””
Vanessa whispered, “I didn't.””
Arthur turned.
“You stayed here?””
“Yes.””
“Did anyone come inside?””
“No.””
“Are you sure?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Arthur noticed.
“Vanessa.””
She looked down.
“Someone came earlier.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“What do you mean you don't know?””
“A man.””
Nia felt a chill.
“What man?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“He wouldn't tell me his name.””
Marcus stared at her.
“What did he look like?””
“Tall. Dark jacket. Baseball cap.””
“When?””
“About an hour ago.””
Arthur's expression changed.
“What did he want?””
Vanessa whispered, “The notebook.””
Nia looked at Marcus.
“Someone else knows about it.””
Marcus nodded.
“That's why your mother hid it.””
Arthur walked inside.
Nia followed.
The foyer suddenly felt different.
The bright house that had always seemed safe now felt like a stage after everyone had gone home.
Every shadow seemed occupied.
Every creak sounded deliberate.
Arthur climbed the stairs.
Nia stayed behind him.
“Dad.””
He glanced back.
“What?””
“Did Mom know she was going to die?””
Arthur stopped.
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie to me.””
His shoulders sank.
“She was frightened.””
“How frightened?””
“She started sleeping with the bedroom door locked.””
Nia's eyes filled.
“Why didn't you protect her?””
Arthur looked down at the floor.
“I thought I was protecting her.””
“That doesn't answer me.””
“I made mistakes.””
“What mistakes?””
Arthur looked at her.
“I trusted the wrong person.””
Vanessa's voice came from below.
“Arthur…”
He turned.
Vanessa stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“Please don't make her hate me for things she doesn't understand.””
Nia stared at her.
“You've had eighteen years to explain.””
Vanessa lowered her head.
“I know.””
Arthur continued upstairs.
Nia followed.
At the end of the hallway was a narrow wooden door.
The attic.
Arthur tried the handle.
Locked.
He looked at Vanessa.
“Where's the key?””
She didn't answer.
“Vanessa.””
“In the office.””
Arthur descended two steps.
“Give me the key.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because I don't have it anymore.””
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
“Who does?””
Vanessa's silence answered him.
Marcus moved toward her.
“Who?””
Vanessa whispered, “The man who came here.””
Arthur turned toward the attic.
“Then we're already too late.””
Nia stepped closer to the door.
“Listen.””
Everyone went silent.
Something moved on the other side.
A soft scrape.
Then another.
Nia's heart hammered.
Arthur raised a finger to his lips.
He slowly reached for the door handle.
The lock clicked.
The door opened two inches.
Darkness.
Arthur pushed it wider.
A cold draft moved through the hallway.
Dust floated in the air.
The attic was empty.
Almost.
In the center of the floor sat an old wooden trunk.
Its lid was open.
Arthur rushed toward it.
Inside were old photographs, letters, a child's stuffed rabbit, and several boxes.
But no notebook.
Nia climbed into the attic.
“Someone was here.””
Arthur crouched beside the trunk.
“Look.””
He pointed to the dust.
Fresh footprints crossed the floor.
They led toward a small window.
The window was open.
Marcus looked outside.
“Whoever came in left that way.””
Nia noticed something caught on a splinter near the window.
A piece of black fabric.
She pulled it free.
“Dad.””
Arthur took it.
His face tightened.
“This is expensive.””
Marcus looked at the fabric.
“Suit material.””
Nia stared at him.
“Like yours?””
Marcus shook his head.
“Like your father's.””
Arthur went still.
Nia looked at his suit.
Then at the fabric.
“Dad?””
Arthur examined it carefully.
“This isn't from my suit.””
“How do you know?””
“Because mine is wool.””
He turned the fabric over.
“This is silk.””
Vanessa suddenly screamed from downstairs.
“Arthur!””
They rushed down.
Vanessa was standing beside the front door.
Her handbag was open.
The sealed envelope was gone.
Nia stopped.
“Where is it?””
Vanessa looked terrified.
“I don't know.””
“You had it.””
“I know!””
Arthur moved toward her.
“Who took it?””
“I don't know!””
Marcus looked at the doorway.
Then his eyes narrowed.
“There.””
A dark sedan was pulling away from the curb.
Arthur ran outside.
Nia followed.
The car disappeared around the corner.
Arthur stood in the street, breathing hard.
Nia looked at Vanessa.
“You said nobody came here.””
“I was wrong.””
“You lied.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa stared at her.
“Because I was scared.””
“Of him?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Who is he?””
“I don't know his name.””
“Then how did he know about the notebook?””
Vanessa looked toward the empty street.
“He knew your mother's name.””
Nia's stomach twisted.
“What did he say?””
Vanessa's voice dropped.
“He said the notebook wasn't the only thing your mother hid.””
Arthur slowly turned around.
“What else?””
Vanessa looked directly at Nia.
“A key.””
Nia frowned.
“A key to what?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Marcus suddenly reached into his coat.
He pulled out his phone.
“I just received a message.””
Arthur looked at him.
“From who?””
Marcus turned the screen around.
There was one sentence.
*Tell Nia to check her mother's bedroom.*
Nia's blood ran cold.
She looked toward the stairs.
“My mother's bedroom hasn't been opened in years.””
Arthur said nothing.
Nia started walking.
“Nia,” he warned.
She kept going.
At the top of the stairs, she stopped.
Her mother's bedroom door was open.
May you like
It had been locked all morning.
And on the floor just inside the room sat the red notebook.
