Chapter 6: The Locked Room
I heard the floorboard creak again.
This time, nobody tried to pretend it was the house settling.
Maya stared toward the staircase.
“Dad…”
I raised a finger to my lips.
Denise slowly closed the folder.
Vanessa backed toward the kitchen.
“Daniel,” she whispered, “we have to leave.””
“Where?””
“Anywhere.””
“Who is upstairs?””
“I don't know.””
“You said Richard was outside.””
“I thought he was.””
Another sound.
A soft scrape.
Then silence.
I grabbed the fireplace poker.
Maya whispered, “What are you doing?””
“Staying between you and whoever's upstairs.””
Denise shook her head.
“Don't go up there.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because if they wanted us dead, we'd already be dead.””
“That isn't comforting.””
“It wasn't meant to be.””
Vanessa pointed toward the back door.
“We can leave through the garage.””
I nodded.
“Take Maya.””
“What about you?””
“I'll follow.””
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“Dad, I'm not leaving you here.””
“Go.””
“No.””
“Maya.””
She stepped closer.
“You've spent my whole life telling me to trust you.””
“I need you to trust me now.””
She swallowed.
Then she nodded.
Vanessa took her hand.
They moved toward the kitchen.
I stayed behind.
Denise whispered, “Daniel.””
I turned.
She was holding the folder.
“There is something you haven't seen.””
“Now?””
“Yes.””
She opened it.
A final photograph.
I looked down.
My heart stopped.
It showed me.
Standing beside Maya's mother.
The photograph had been taken before Maya was born.
I knew the place.
A restaurant near the courthouse.
But there was someone else in the background.
Claire.
And Richard.
I looked at Denise.
“Why were they there?””
“Because they were meeting your wife.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She had stopped moving.
“You knew them before I met you.””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Two years.””
My grip tightened around the poker.
“You lied to me from the beginning.””
“I loved you.””
“That doesn't answer the question.””
“I did love you.””
“Then why?””
She looked at me.
“Because Claire told me to marry you.””
The words hit harder than any confession could have.
“Why?””
“To get close to the trust.””
I couldn't speak.
Maya had heard.
She stood frozen in the kitchen doorway.
“You married Dad for my money?””
Vanessa started crying.
“I didn't know what would happen.””
“You knew enough.””
“I fell in love with him.””
“But you stayed after you took the money.””
“I was trapped.””
Maya shook her head.
“You always have an excuse.””
A loud crash came from upstairs.
We all jumped.
Denise grabbed the folder.
“Now.””
We ran toward the garage.
The kitchen door slammed behind us.
I pushed Maya into the garage.
Vanessa followed.
Denise was last.
I hit the button for the garage door.
Nothing happened.
I tried again.
Nothing.
“Power's been cut,” Denise said.
I looked toward the door leading back into the house.
It slowly opened.
A shadow appeared.
Maya screamed.
I stepped forward.
“Stay back.””
The person entered the garage.
It was an older woman.
Gray hair.
Black coat.
And a silver bracelet.
She looked directly at Vanessa.
“You shouldn't have brought him here.””
Vanessa whispered, “Claire.””
I couldn't breathe.
My sister stood ten feet away.
Alive.
Older.
But alive.
Maya stared at her.
“You're my aunt?””
Claire looked at her.
“No.””
Maya's face tightened.
“What?””
Claire looked at me.
“I'm your mother.””
Nobody moved.
I shook my head.
“That isn't possible.””
Claire's eyes filled with tears.
“I know what Vanessa told you.””
“What did she tell me?””
“That your wife died.””
“She did.””
Claire stepped closer.
“No.””
“You were at her funeral.””
“I was there.””
“You let me bury you.””
“I had no choice.””
“You let me raise your daughter without knowing she was alive.””
“I thought it was the only way to keep her safe.””
I looked at Maya.
She was staring at Claire as though trying to recognize a face she had never been allowed to remember.
“Why?”” Maya whispered.
Claire's voice broke.
“Because Richard wanted you.””
“Why?””
“Because of what your mother left you.””
“What did she leave me?””
Claire looked at Denise.
Denise nodded.
Claire reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small metal key.
“The truth.””
She placed it in Maya's hand.
“This opens a safe deposit box.””
I stared at the key.
“What bank?””
Claire answered quietly.
“The same bank where your daughter's trust was opened.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Claire looked at her.
“You should have told him years ago.””
“I was trying to protect Maya.””
“You were protecting yourself.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Claire, please.””
“No.””
Claire's voice became cold.
“You took her money.””
“I borrowed it.””
“You sold her future.””
“I had no choice.””
“You always had a choice.””
A siren sounded in the distance.
Claire looked toward the garage entrance.
“They're coming.””
I turned to Denise.
“Who?””
“Police.””
I looked at Claire.
“Did you call them?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Claire smiled sadly.
“Your daughter.””
I looked at Maya.
She held up her phone.
“I called them before we came downstairs.””
For the first time that morning, I felt something close to relief.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
There was a photograph.
Maya.
Taken ten minutes earlier.
Standing inside our house.
The photograph had been taken from above.
From the camera.
But the camera was still facing the wall.
Underneath the photograph was one sentence:
*YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE WRONG PERSON.*
Then another message arrived.
*ASK CLAIRE WHO REALLY KILLED MAYA'S MOTHER.*
I looked up.
Claire's face had gone white.
“Claire?””
She didn't answer.
“Who killed Maya's mother?””
Claire looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
And whispered:
“It wasn't Richard.””
The garage door suddenly began to rise.
Police lights flashed across the driveway.
But before anyone could step inside, Claire grabbed my wrist.
“There is one person you cannot trust.””
“Who?””
She looked directly at Vanessa.
“No.””
Her eyes moved toward Denise.
“Not her either.””
Then Claire looked at Maya.
“The person who erased that camera…”
She stopped.
May you like
Her voice dropped to almost nothing.
“…is the person standing beside you right now.””
