Chapter 11 - THE LETTER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
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Daniel did not deny it.
When Nora confronted him, he sat in the library at the Whitmore estate and stared at the letter in his hands.
“Your mother did not run because she was afraid of the family,” he said. “She ran because she discovered what the family had done.”
Nora sat opposite him.
“What did they do?”
Daniel opened the letter.
“Your grandfather used the trust to finance a private shipping operation. Some of the vessels were used to move goods that were never declared.”
“Illegal goods?”
“Yes.”
“Did my mother know?”
“She discovered the records. She threatened to expose him.”
Nora looked at the silver bird pendant.
“And then she disappeared.”
Daniel nodded.
“Your grandfather feared losing the trust and the family name. He believed Eleanor would destroy everything.”
“Did he order someone to take her?”
“We believe he did.”
Nora's voice shook.
“Was she alive afterward?”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“We don't know.”
She stood.
“You've had years to find out.”
“We tried.”
“Not hard enough.”
Daniel accepted the accusation.
“You're right.”
He removed another document from the folder.
“This was found in your mother's private safe. It was never delivered.”
Nora unfolded it.
The letter was addressed to her.
My little bird, if you ever read this, know that I never left you willingly. I was trying to protect you from people who believe money gives them the right to own other lives. I hope someone kind finds you. I hope you grow up knowing you were wanted.
Nora covered her mouth.
The room blurred.
Daniel stood but did not touch her.
She read the letter again.
Then she noticed a line at the bottom.
The proof is in the blue room.
Nora looked up.
“What is the blue room?”
Daniel frowned.
“My grandfather's old study. He had the walls painted blue.”
“Is it still there?”
“Yes.”
“Then I want to see it.”
They walked through the house to a room at the end of the east corridor.
The walls were faded blue. Dust covered the shelves. A heavy desk stood beneath the window.
Daniel opened the drawers.
Nothing.
Nora walked slowly around the room.
She noticed a small bird carved into the wooden frame above the fireplace.
The pendant around her neck felt suddenly heavy.
She removed it.
The back was engraved with a tiny keyhole.
Daniel stared.
“Your mother wore that every day.”
Nora pressed the pendant against the carved bird.
A small section of wood clicked.
The frame shifted.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside lay a leather notebook, a photograph, and a sealed envelope.
Nora opened the envelope.
The first page contained a list of payments.
The second contained names.
The third contained a handwritten note.
If Camden Rourke has found my daughter, do not let him near her.
Nora's hands trembled.
Daniel looked over her shoulder.
“Why would your mother have known his name?”
Nora turned the page.
At the bottom was a date.
It was written three months before Eleanor disappeared.
May you like
And beneath it, a sentence that made Nora's blood run cold.
The boy who came to the house is not who he claims to be.
