Chapter 2: What Was Hidden in the Seam
My hands were shaking as I pulled it out.
It was a small bundle wrapped in an old plastic bag, sealed tight with rubber bands that had gone brittle with age.
Inside the bag was a folded piece of cloth.
And inside the cloth...
A key.
And a handwritten letter.
The paper was yellowed and soft at the edges, like it had been folded and unfolded many times over the years.
Fiona's handwriting was unsteady but clear.
*"Mabel.
You were the only one who stayed.
The key is for the lockbox at First Farmers Bank in Clover Ridge.
Account number on the back.
It has been waiting for you for six years.
Tell no one until you go.
β Fiona."*
Six years.
She had planned this for six years.
I sat there at that kitchen table unable to move.
Then I heard footsteps in the hallway.
My brother-in-law, Dennis, appeared in the doorway.
His eyes went straight to the letter in my hand.
"What's that?"
I folded it quickly.
"Nothing.
Just an old note."
He stepped closer.
"Mabel.
Mom didn't have anything to leave anyone.
We all know that.
So if you found something in that room, it belongs to the whole family."
His voice was calm.
But his eyes were not.
---
What Mabel found in that lockbox shook the entire family to its core β and Dennis wasn't the only one who wanted it.
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