Chapter 6 - I read the letter three times.The words refused to make sense.

Caleb stood beside me.

"What does it say?"

I folded the page.

"Nothing."

It was the first lie I'd ever told him intentionally.

His expression changed.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Lie to me."

I stared at him.

"You've been lying to me for years."

"I haven't."

"Did you know about Northstar?"

"No."

"Did you know my mother knew your father?"

"No."

"Did you know about the pendant?"

"No."

I held up the letter.

"Then why does my mother say I'm supposed to be afraid of you?"

Caleb looked at the page.

"Let me read it."

I hesitated.

Then handed it to him.

His eyes moved across the lines.

I watched his face.

Confusion.

Shock.

Then something else.

Recognition.

"Why do you look like that?"

He handed it back.

"I've seen this handwriting before."

"Where?"

"In my father's office."

My stomach tightened.

"What?"

"After he died, I found an old notebook."

"What was inside?"

"I couldn't read most of it."

"Why?"

"Because it was written in code."

Tyler stepped closer.

"Do you still have it?"

Caleb nodded.

"At home."

"We need to go there."

"No."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because they'll expect us to."

He pointed at the letter.

"If Northstar knows about the pendant, they know about the box."

"Then where do we go?"

Tyler answered.

"Room 317."

The hotel from the photograph.

We drove there before dawn.

The building had changed names twice.

But the room number remained.

The manager let us inside after Caleb showed an old photograph of his father.

The room was empty.

Too empty.

The walls had fresh paint.

The carpet smelled new.

Then I noticed a strange crack behind the mirror.

I moved it.

A small compartment appeared.

Inside was another envelope.

And a newspaper clipping.

My father's photo was on the front page.

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN DIES IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Beneath it was a handwritten note.

NOT AN ACCIDENT.

Tyler suddenly went pale.

"What?"

He pointed at the newspaper.

At the bottom was a second photograph.

A witness.

The image was blurry.

But the face was clear enough.

It was Marlene.

Caleb stared.

"Mom said she wasn't there."

"She lied," Tyler whispered.

We opened the envelope.

Inside was a map.

Several locations had been circled.

Our house.

Marlene's house.

The hotel.

And one more.

A cemetery.

My mother's name was written beside it.

I stopped breathing.

"My mother is dead?"

Caleb touched my shoulder.

"We don't know."

Tyler shook his head.

"Maybe that's what they want you to believe."

A noise came from outside the room.

Footsteps.

Someone stopped directly behind the door.

We froze.

Three knocks.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Then a man's voice.

"Mrs. Carter?"

I didn't answer.

The voice continued.

"We know you have the key."

Caleb looked at me.

The black key was still in my hand.

The stranger laughed softly.

"You have five minutes."

"What happens after five?" Caleb shouted.

Silence.

Then:

"Your husband dies."

Caleb's face hardened.

I looked at the door.

Someone was waiting outside.

And the worst part was this.

He hadn't called Caleb by his name.

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