Chương 13 - The Lake House
The Cross lake house sat empty twenty miles north of the city, hidden behind pines and a frozen shoreline.
Police were still arranging a search warrant when Evelyn made her decision.
She, Ethan, and Detective Ortiz left immediately.
Grant came too, against everyone's better judgment.
“If my mother is there,” he said, “she'll talk to me before she'll talk to police.”
Ortiz answered, “Or she'll shoot you.”
“Fair point.”
They arrived just before sunset.
The front door was unlocked.
That was the first bad sign.
The second was the warm lamp glowing in the living room.
Someone had been there recently.
Evelyn walked toward the old stone fireplace.
As a child, she had watched her father hide emergency cash behind a loose brick.
She removed it.
Nothing.
Grant checked the bedroom.
Ethan searched the kitchen.
Ortiz stayed near the entrance, one hand close to her weapon.
Evelyn looked around the room.
Family debt.
Her eyes landed on an old framed photograph of Daniel Cross hanging near the stairs.
She lifted it from the wall.
Behind it was a key taped to the drywall.
Grant whispered, “That wasn't there before.”
The key fit a rusted lock on a storage room beneath the stairs.
Inside were boxes of old financial records.
And one modern steel case.
Evelyn opened it.
Empty.
Grant swore.
Then Ethan pointed to the dust.
“Someone took it recently.”
On the floor, a fresh heel print marked the concrete.
Small.
Women's shoe.
Evelyn stared at it.
“Miriam.”
A floorboard creaked above them.
Ortiz raised her weapon.
“Police. Come down with your hands visible.”
Silence.
Then a voice came from upstairs.
“Evelyn?”
Her heart stopped.
Aunt Miriam.
She appeared at the top of the stairs wearing a cream wool coat.
In one hand, she held the missing ledger.
In the other, a handgun.
Grant whispered, “Mom.”
Miriam looked down at him with tears in her eyes.
“You were never supposed to come here.”
Ortiz aimed. “Put the gun down.”
Miriam ignored her.
She looked only at Evelyn.
“You found out about Daniel.”
Evelyn's voice shook. “Was he my father?”
“Yes.”
The word broke something open.
Grant lowered his head.
Evelyn asked, “Did you kill Richard?”
Miriam's face twisted.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Miriam looked toward the front windows.
Her fear was immediate.
May you like
“He's here.”
Before anyone could ask who, the lights went out.
