Chapter 9 - THE OLD HOUSEThe old Alcazar estate had been abandoned for twenty years.
No one had entered the property since Adrian's father died.
Except someone had.
The security system had been recently activated.
Adrian stood outside the iron gates.
Valeria beside him.
Rodrigo and his father followed.
"Why are you here?" Adrian asked Rodrigo.
Rodrigo answered quietly.
"Because Tommy is missing."
Adrian looked at him.
"And because you know more than you admitted."
Rodrigo lowered his eyes.
"I didn't know."
His father interrupted.
"Enough."
Adrian turned.
"Where is the archive?"
The older man pointed toward the house.
"Below the study."
They entered.
Dust covered everything.
Old furniture.
Portraits.
A broken clock.
Valeria noticed something strange.
Every portrait had been turned toward the wall.
"Why?"
Rodrigo's father froze.
Adrian looked at him.
"Why are the portraits turned?"
The old man said nothing.
Valeria walked toward one.
She turned it around.
The portrait showed Adrian's father.
Beside him stood a young woman.
Adrian stared.
His breathing stopped.
"That's my mother."
Valeria looked at the painting.
The woman was young.
Beautiful.
But there was something else.
A child stood beside her.
A little girl.
Adrian stepped closer.
"Who is that?"
His father looked away.
Adrian grabbed him.
"Who is she?"
The old man finally spoke.
"Your sister."
Adrian released him.
"What?"
"You had a sister."
"Why didn't I know?"
"Because she died."
"When?"
"Before you were born."
Adrian stared at the portrait.
But Valeria noticed something.
The little girl in the painting was wearing a necklace.
A silver pendant.
The same pendant Victor Hale had worn in the security photograph.
Valeria's heart began pounding.
She looked at Adrian.
"Your sister may be alive."
Adrian turned toward her.
The old house suddenly seemed to become colder.
Then they heard a sound from beneath the floor.
A child's voice.
"Help!"
Rodrigo screamed.
"Tommy!"
The voice came again.
"Uncle Rodrigo!"
They rushed toward the study.
Beneath the old desk was a hidden door.
Adrian pulled it open.
Stairs descended into darkness.
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And somewhere below…
Tommy was crying.
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