“He passed away before Claire was born.”
“And the missing money?”
“There was no missing money.”
Claire reached deeper into the envelope and placed a brass key on the table.
A metal tag hung from it.
FIRST COUNTY BANK — 317.
David’s face changed.
“You need to give me that.”
“Why?” Emily asked.
“Because it doesn’t belong to you.”
Claire closed her fingers around the key.
“My mother left it with my name.”
“She stole it.”
I stared at him.
“You just said Rachel misunderstood some records.
Now you’re calling her a thief.”
“She took documents from my office.”
“Documents that proved what?”
David’s phone vibrated against the counter.
He looked at the screen and immediately turned it facedown.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“No one.”
The phone vibrated again.
Emily reached it first.
David grabbed her wrist, but she twisted free and lifted the screen.
A message from an unknown number filled it.
If Claire opened the envelope, get the bank key before Anna learns what you did.
Emily slowly raised her eyes to her father.
“Who sent this?”
Claire gasped.
Emily switched on her phone’s flashlight while David moved toward the kitchen counter.
“Don’t touch that phone,” I said.
“It’s only a power cut.”
“The houses across the street still have lights,” Emily replied.
David stopped.
Claire slipped the bank key into her pocket.
“Someone knew I was coming here.”
“No one knew,” David said.
“My foster mother knew.
She spent years waiting for you to appear again.”
David’s voice dropped.
“Ruth Foster filled your head with stories.”
“She gave me a home.
You gave me nightmares.”
The lights flickered back on.
David’s phone was gone from the counter.
Emily pointed toward his jacket.
“He took it.”
David opened the front door.
“I’m going to find out what happened to the power.”
“You locked that door two minutes ago,” I said.
