Chapter 8 The Key in His Hand
Emma's first instinct was to step backward.
The second was to call the police.
But she couldn't move.
Daniel stood in the doorway, breathing hard, his white dress shirt streaked with blood across one sleeve. Rainwater dripped from his hair onto the hardwood floor.
In his right hand was Lily's silver key.
The one the police had said was missing.
Mason kept his pistol trained on Daniel.
"Don't take another step."
Daniel slowly raised his free hand.
"The blood isn't mine."
Emma's voice was barely audible.
"Where is Lily?"
"I don't know."
She stared at the key.
"Then why do you have that?"
Daniel looked down at it as if he had forgotten he was holding it.
"Someone wanted me to find it."
No one spoke for several seconds.
Finally Mason said,
"Put the key on the table."
Daniel obeyed.
The tiny silver key landed beside Emma's.
For the first time, both keys lay side by side.
Emma leaned forward.
One bore the letter E.
The other...
L.
Perfect twins.
Except...
Mason frowned.
"Wait."
He picked them up carefully.
"They're not identical."
Emma looked closer.
The grooves along the edges were different.
"They're a pair," Mason said quietly.
"Not duplicates."
"They were made to work together."
Daniel slowly sat in the chair opposite Emma.
Neither of them knew where to begin.
She looked at the dried blood on his sleeve.
"What happened?"
"I was attacked."
"By who?"
"I don't know."
Emma laughed bitterly.
"You don't know?"
"They wore masks."
"Convenient."
Daniel didn't react.
"I followed someone I believed had Lily."
"You followed them?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"They left this."
He nodded toward the key.
"It was hanging from a chain on a warehouse door."
Emma's heart sank.
"The necklace."
Daniel nodded.
"I think they wanted me to find it."
Mason crossed his arms.
"Which means we're all being manipulated."
Emma finally asked the question that had haunted her for days.
"Were you having an affair with my sister?"
Silence.
Daniel looked directly into her eyes.
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
Without fear.
Without uncertainty.
"No."
Emma searched his face.
For twelve years she had known every expression he made.
If he was lying...
She couldn't see it.
"So what were you doing at her house?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
"I can't tell you."
Emma slammed both hands on the table.
"Enough!"
Her voice echoed through the office.
"I found you half-dressed in my sister's living room!"
"I know."
"You emptied our savings!"
"I know."
"You lied about your mother!"
"I know."
"My sister disappears!"
"I know!"
Daniel's own voice finally broke.
"I know exactly what this looks like."
His shoulders sagged.
"But I can't break my promise."
Emma stared at him in disbelief.
"A promise?"
"To your father."
"My father has been dead for six months!"
"I know."
"And somehow he's still more important than your wife?"
Daniel lowered his head.
"No."
"Then tell me."
His lips parted.
He tried.
Nothing came.
Finally he whispered,
"I'm sorry."
Emma turned away.
For the first time...
She believed he truly was sorry.
She just didn't know what for.
Across town...
Arthur Holloway sat in an elegant study overlooking the river.
Lily was no longer locked in the warehouse.
Instead, she sat across from him at a dining table.
A warm meal had been served.
Untouched.
Arthur poured two cups of tea.
"I assure you..."
He smiled politely.
"...if I intended to harm you, we wouldn't be drinking Earl Grey."
Lily glared at him.
"You kidnapped me."
"I protected you."
"From what?"
Arthur looked toward the fireplace.
"People who are less patient than I am."
Lily folded her arms.
"I don't believe a word you say."
"I expected that."
Arthur reached into a drawer.
He removed an old photograph.
Then another.
Then another.
All of them showed the same four people.
Frank Brooks.
Arthur Holloway.
Margaret Carter.
And...
A young woman Emma had never mentioned.
"Who's she?" Lily asked.
Arthur smiled sadly.
"Your mother."
Lily frowned.
"I know what my mother looked like."
"No."
Arthur gently slid the photograph toward her.
"You know the woman who raised you."
Lily's face slowly lost all color.
Back in Mason's office...
The investigator examined both silver keys under a magnifying lamp.
"There."
Emma leaned closer.
Tiny engraved arrows circled the base of each key.
One pointed clockwise.
The other...
Counterclockwise.
Mason suddenly smiled.
"They're not meant to open two different locks."
Emma frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"They're meant to turn together."
Daniel immediately understood.
"A dual-lock mechanism."
Mason nodded.
"Like old bank vaults."
Emma looked from one key to the other.
"So whatever Dad hid..."
"...requires both daughters."
The room fell silent.
Then Emma quietly asked,
"Does Lily know?"
Daniel answered.
"No."
"You never told her either?"
"No."
Emma almost laughed.
"So everyone has been protecting everyone..."
"...by lying to everyone."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Mason's phone rang.
Detective Collins.
He answered on speaker.
"Harris."
"We found something."
"What?"
"The abandoned warehouse."
Everyone looked up.
"What warehouse?"
"The one registered to Holloway Technologies."
Daniel immediately stood.
"What did you find?"
Collins hesitated.
"A hidden room."
Emma's heartbeat quickened.
"And?"
"There was old recording equipment."
Mason looked at the note from the safety deposit box.
Trust the recording.
"What else?"
Collins continued,
"We also found blood."
Emma held her breath.
"Lily's?"
"We're testing it."
Daniel looked toward the window.
"It's a trap."
Collins frowned.
"What?"
"They wanted us to find that room."
"How do you know?"
"Because..."
Daniel stopped himself.
Emma stared.
"You've been there before."
He didn't answer.
Which was answer enough.
Later that night...
Emma couldn't sleep.
She wandered into Noah's room.
He was curled beneath his blanket, clutching his stuffed elephant.
Peaceful.
Safe.
She sat beside him and gently brushed a curl away from his forehead.
"I'll figure this out."
She whispered more to herself than to him.
"No more secrets."
Noah stirred.
Half-asleep, he murmured,
"Grandpa said..."
Emma froze.
"What?"
His eyes remained closed.
"He said the music box..."
"...only sings when both princesses come home."
Emma's heart stopped.
She gently shook him.
"Noah."
He blinked sleepily.
"What music box?"
He yawned.
"The one Grandpa showed me."
"When?"
"Before he got sick."
Emma felt her pulse race.
"What did Grandpa say?"
Noah smiled drowsily.
"He said..."
"...don't tell Mommy yet."
Then he rolled over and fell back asleep.
Emma sat frozen beside the bed.
Her father had shown Noah something.
Something he had never shown Emma.
And suddenly she realized—
Frank Brooks hadn't entrusted the future only to Daniel.
He had left clues for everyone.
Even a four-year-old child.
Somewhere...
There was a music box.
May you like
And if Noah's innocent memory was right...
It would only open when both sisters stood together.
