Chapter 10 - Behind the WallThe mansion was searched room by room.
Nothing.
No Grace.
No secret passage.
No hidden door.
Until Lily spoke.
“Emma?”
Emma turned.
“What?”
Lily pointed toward the library wall.
“The wall moves.”
Mason stared.
“You're sure?”
Lily nodded.
“Mommy showed me.”
Mason pressed every panel.
Nothing.
Lily walked over and pushed a small carved flower.
A click.
The wall opened.
A narrow passage appeared.
Emma's heart raced.
They entered.
The passage descended beneath the mansion.
The air smelled damp.
Old.
Forgotten.
At the bottom was a small room.
A bed.
A chair.
Water.
Blankets.
And a photograph.
Emma ran toward it.
Her sister.
Grace had been there.
Recently.
On the bed was a note.
She left willingly.
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
Mason examined the room.
“There are footprints.”
Detective Collins crouched.
“Two people.”
Emma stared at the second set.
“Adrian.”
“No.”
Mason pointed.
“Those shoes belong to Vanessa.”
Emma looked at him.
“She brought Grace here?”
A sound came from behind the wall.
Three knocks.
Pause.
Three knocks.
Emma froze.
“Grace?”
Three knocks.
She ran toward the wall.
“Grace!”
A weak voice answered.
“Emma?”
Her knees nearly gave out.
“Grace!”
They tore open the panel.
Behind it was a second room.
Grace sat against the wall.
Alive.
Emma ran into her arms.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
They only cried.
Mason stood behind them.
“Who did this to you?”
Grace looked at him.
“Vanessa.”
Emma stiffened.
“What?”
Grace nodded.
“She didn't hurt me.”
“Then why did she imprison you?”
“To protect me.”
Emma stepped back.
“From what?”
Grace looked at Mason.
“Your father.”
Mason's face went pale.
“He's dead.”
“I know.”
Grace took a breath.
“He planned to kill me.”
“What did you find?”
“Documents proving the Whitmore fortune was built through criminal accounts.”
Mason sat down.
“Why didn't you go to the police?”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“Adrian found me first.”
Grace looked at Emma.
“He made me disappear.”
Emma's fists tightened.
“Why?”
“Because I found the original ledger.”
Mason asked:
“Where is it?”
Grace looked terrified.
“I never had it.”
“What?”
“I had a copy.”
“Who had the original?”
Grace looked toward the door.
“Your mother.”
Mason froze.
“My mother died ten years ago.”
Grace nodded.
“She left it somewhere.”
“Where?”
Grace whispered:
“Inside the mansion.”
Then they heard footsteps.
Everyone froze.
Someone was walking down the passage.
Slowly.
One step.
Then another.
Mason drew his weapon.
The footsteps stopped.
A woman's voice came from the darkness.
“You shouldn't have found her.”
Vanessa stepped into the light.
Her shoulder was bandaged.
May you like
Her face was expressionless.
And she was holding the original ledger.
