Chapter 6: The Box His Mother Left Behind
I felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath my feet.
Rebecca's metal box was gone.
For three years, Noah had kept it beneath his bed.
It was the only thing he had from his mother that he hadn't allowed anyone else to touch.
“Are you sure, son?””
Noah nodded.
“I checked yesterday morning. It was there before school. When I came home, it was gone.””
I looked toward the staircase.
Vanessa was still upstairs with Officer Harris.
“Did you tell her about it?””
“No. But she asked me where I kept Mom's things.””
“When?””
“Last week.””
“What did you say?””
“I told her it wasn't any of her business.””
I closed my eyes.
That sounded exactly like Noah.
“What happened after that?””
“She said I was being disrespectful. Then she told me that dead people couldn't protect me.””
My jaw tightened.
Grandma Eleanor put her hand over her mouth.
“That's horrible.””
Noah shrugged, but his eyes were wet.
“I didn't think she would actually take it.””
I crouched in front of him.
“Listen to me. Whatever was inside that box, we're going to find it.””
He looked at me.
“Even if Mom's letters say something bad?””
I paused.
“Your mother loved you. Nothing in a box can change that.””
He nodded slowly.
I turned toward my mother.
“Can you stay with the children?””
“Of course.””
The younger officer was still in the living room.
I explained what Noah had told me.
He immediately contacted Officer Harris upstairs.
A few minutes later, Harris came down.
“Mr. Hale, we should document the missing property. Do you have any idea where your wife might have taken it?””
I shook my head.
“No. But she had access to Noah's bedroom.””
Harris nodded.
“Let's ask her.””
Vanessa came downstairs carrying her handbag.
She looked composed again.
Too composed.
“What's happening now?”” she asked.
I stood in front of her.
“Where is Rebecca's metal box?””
She blinked.
“What box?””
“The one Noah kept under his bed.””
“I don't know.””
Noah stood up.
“You took it.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Don't accuse me of stealing things.””
“You asked me about it last week!””
“I ask you many things. That doesn't mean I took anything.””
I took a step closer.
“Did you enter his bedroom yesterday?””
She sighed.
“Marcus, this is becoming ridiculous.””
“Answer the question.””
“Yes. I went in to collect his dirty laundry.””
“Did you see the box?””
“No.””
Officer Harris intervened.
“Ma'am, this is now a separate allegation involving missing personal property. We'd like you to cooperate.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“You're seriously going to let him do this?””
I didn't answer.
The officer asked her to describe the box.
She hesitated.
“It's an old silver box.””
Noah immediately shook his head.
“It's gray. And it has a dent on the lid.””
Vanessa's eyes flickered.
She knew exactly what it looked like.
I noticed.
So did Harris.
“Have you handled this item?”” he asked.
“No.””
“Have you moved it?””
“No.””
“Do you know where it is?””
“No.””
Her answers were becoming shorter.
The officer asked her to remain available while the missing item was documented.
Then Daniel suddenly spoke.
“Marcus, I think I know where it is.””
Everyone turned toward him.
Vanessa's face changed.
“Daniel, don't.””
He looked at her.
“You told me to put it in the storage room.””
My heart slammed against my chest.
“You did what?””
Daniel rubbed his face.
“I didn't know what was inside. Vanessa gave me the box yesterday afternoon. She said it contained old family photographs and asked me to keep it somewhere safe.””
I stared at him.
“Where?””
“In the storage unit behind my apartment.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You're lying.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“You gave it to me in the parking lot!””
Officer Harris stepped forward.
“Sir, can you take us to that location?””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Daniel, think carefully about what you're doing.””
He pulled away.
“No. I've been thinking about it for months.””
The room fell silent.
I looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
He stared at the floor.
“I'm sorry, Marcus. I should have told you earlier.””
“About what?””
He glanced toward Noah.
Then he looked at me.
“Vanessa didn't just ask me to move the box. She asked me to read one of the letters.””
My stomach tightened.
“What letter?””
“The one with Rebecca's name on it.””
I felt dizzy.
“Did you read it?””
He nodded.
“What did it say?””
Daniel swallowed.
“I didn't understand all of it. But there was something about an accident. Something about a man named Ethan. And something about Noah's birth.””
Vanessa suddenly shouted.
“That's enough!””
Officer Harris moved between them.
“Ma'am, step back.””
She looked at me.
“Marcus, you need to stop this before you destroy everything.””
I stared at her.
“You've already destroyed enough.””
The officer arranged for Daniel to accompany them to retrieve the box.
I insisted on going too.
Noah wanted to come, but I refused.
“Stay with Grandma. I'll bring it back.””
He grabbed my sleeve.
“Dad?””
“Yes?””
“If there's something in there about Mom, please don't let anyone throw it away.””
I put my hand against his cheek.
“I promise.””
The storage facility was fifteen minutes away.
Daniel drove separately.
Officer Harris followed in his patrol vehicle.
When we arrived, Daniel led us to a narrow storage unit near the back of the building.
He entered the access code.
The metal door rolled upward.
Inside were cardboard boxes, an old bicycle, a broken television, and several bags of clothing.
Daniel walked to the back.
He moved two boxes aside.
Then he stopped.
“It's gone.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“The box was here.””
He looked around frantically.
“No. I left it right here.””
Officer Harris examined the unit.
“Who else has access?””
“Only me.””
I turned toward my brother.
“You told me you had it.””
“I did!””
“Then where is it?””
Daniel ran both hands through his hair.
“I swear, Marcus. It was here yesterday.””
Officer Harris checked the lock.
There were no obvious signs of forced entry.
He asked Daniel whether anyone else knew the access code.
Daniel hesitated.
Then he slowly pulled out his phone.
“Vanessa.””
I stared at him.
“You gave her the code?””
“She said she might need to retrieve some family documents.””
I closed my eyes.
She had known exactly where the box was.
And now it was missing.
Officer Harris requested access records from the facility manager.
While we waited, I called Noah.
He answered immediately.
“Dad?””
“We haven't found it yet, son.””
There was a long silence.
Then he said something that made my heart stop.
“Dad, I think I know why Mom wanted the box.””
“Why?””
“Because yesterday, before it disappeared, I found something underneath it.””
“What?””
“A photograph.””
“What photograph?””
“One of Mom Rebecca holding me in the hospital.””
I waited.
Noah continued.
“But there was another person in the picture.””
My throat tightened.
“Who?””
“I don't know his name. But I remember seeing him before.””
“Where?””
“In Mom Vanessa's phone.””
I gripped the phone tighter.
“What did he look like?””
Noah took a shaky breath.
“He looked like me.””
I couldn't speak.
Then Noah added:
“Dad, there's something else. On the back of the photograph, Mom Rebecca wrote a name.””
“What name?””
He whispered it.
“Ethan Cole.””
And suddenly, the mysterious man from Vanessa's story wasn't just an old stranger.
He was someone my son had recognized.
Someone whose photograph had been in my wife's possession.
Someone who might hold the answer to why she was so determined to get Noah out of my house.
Officer Harris approached me.
“Mr. Hale, we have a problem.””
I lowered the phone.
“What now?””
He showed me his screen.
The storage facility's access log had just arrived.
Someone had entered Daniel's unit at 6:18 that morning.
The visitor's name was listed as Vanessa Hale.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The manager had also provided a photograph from the security camera.
Vanessa wasn't alone.
The man standing beside her was holding the missing silver box.
May you like
And I recognized him immediately.
It was Ethan Cole.
