Chapter 5: The Secret in the Family
Elizabeth Ashford did not look like a villain.
That was the first thing I noticed.
Villains in movies always looked dangerous.
They looked angry.
They looked obvious.
Elizabeth looked kind.
That was worse.
She sat across from us and calmly poured herself tea.
"My brother has always been dramatic," she said.
Richard stared at her.
"Where is Emma?""
The smile disappeared.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
A crack.
"I don't know.""
"You expect me to believe that?""
Elizabeth sighed.
"Richard, you always wanted simple answers.""
She looked at me.
"But the truth is never simple.""
I stood.
"Emma was scared of you.""
Elizabeth looked at me.
"Was she?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did she never tell you that herself?""
The question hit me.
Because Emma couldn't.
Because someone made sure she couldn't.
Richard slammed his hand on the table.
"Enough.""
Elizabeth didn't flinch.
"You have no idea what happened.""
"Then tell us.""
Silence.
For the first time, Elizabeth looked tired.
Not guilty.
Tired.
"I built this family business.""
Richard laughed bitterly.
"You inherited it.""
"I protected it.""
"By destroying people?""
Her expression hardened.
"By making difficult decisions.""
I felt anger rising.
"People aren't decisions.""
Elizabeth looked at me.
"You still believe that because you have never had to choose between one person's suffering and thousands of people losing everything.""
There was something in her voice.
A justification.
The kind powerful people used when they convinced themselves they were doing the right thing.
Then she placed a folder on the table.
"I know why you came here.""
I looked at it.
"What is that?""
"Proof.""
Richard opened it.
His face changed.
"What...""
Inside were documents.
Emma's employment records.
Financial reports.
And one photograph.
A photograph of Emma leaving the mansion.
Alive.
The date was after the night everyone believed she disappeared.
Richard looked up.
"Where did you get this?""
Elizabeth didn't answer.
I picked up the photograph.
My hands shook.
Because Emma wasn't gone.
She had been alive.
At least after the night she vanished.
Then Elizabeth said something that changed everything.
"Your investigation is based on the idea that Emma was a victim.""
She leaned forward.
"But what if she was hiding something too?""
Nobody spoke.
I stared at the picture.
A thousand questions filled my mind.
Why did Emma disappear?
Why did she leave evidence behind?
Why did Elizabeth have this photo?
And why did everyone keep telling only half the truth?
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message.
From the same unknown number.
This time, there was a photo attached.
I opened it.
And my blood turned cold.
It was a picture of Emma.
Taken recently.
Not six months ago.
Not from the night she disappeared.
Today.
May you like
Under the image was one sentence:
"Ask Claire what she promised before she came here.""
