CHAPTER 5 — THE KEY ONLY SHE COULD FIND
The jewelry store doors opened.
Four detectives entered, their expressions serious.
The lead investigator, Captain Sarah Mitchell, walked straight toward Emily.
"Mrs. Carter?"
Emily slowly nodded.
Sarah removed her cap.
"First... I'm sorry."
"For what happened to your husband."
Emily held the silver pendant tightly.
"I've heard those words many times."
"But they never brought him back."
Sarah lowered her eyes.
"I know."
"But today isn't about sympathy."
"It's about justice."
She carefully placed a sealed evidence envelope on the counter.
Inside was an old notebook covered with soot.
Emily recognized it immediately.
Daniel's field notebook.
The one he carried on every assignment.
"I thought it burned with him," she whispered.
"So did we," Sarah replied.
"It was found hidden inside a ventilation shaft in the warehouse."
Michael frowned.
"Why didn't anyone find it before?"
Sarah looked around the room before answering.
"Because someone made sure no one looked."
Emily carefully opened the notebook.
Most of the pages were blackened.
Only a few sentences remained readable.
The final page contained one line written in Daniel's handwriting.
'If anything happens to me... Emily will know where the truth is.'
Everyone exchanged confused glances.
Sarah looked at Emily.
"Does that mean anything to you?"
Emily stared at the words.
At first...
Nothing.
Then suddenly...
A memory came rushing back.
Months before his death, Daniel had been repairing an old wooden rocking chair in the nursery.
While tightening one of its legs, he had smiled and said,
"If I ever leave you a secret..."
"I'll hide it somewhere only a mother would always keep close."
Emily's eyes widened.
"The nursery..."
Michael looked at her.
"What about it?"
"The rocking chair."
She stood up so quickly that everyone was startled.
"I think Daniel hid something inside it."
Within minutes, police vehicles sped across the city.
Emily sat in the front seat, clutching the necklace.
No one spoke.
When they reached the tiny rental house where Emily had been staying temporarily, she rushed inside.
The nursery was almost empty.
Only one piece of furniture remained.
The old wooden rocking chair.
She turned it over with trembling hands.
Nothing.
Michael examined the legs.
"They're solid."
Emily suddenly remembered.
Daniel had replaced only one armrest.
She pressed against it.
Click.
A hidden wooden compartment slid open.
Everyone froze.
Inside lay a small waterproof metal box.
Sarah carefully unlocked it.
The room fell silent.
Inside were:
A flash drive.
Three memory cards.
A handwritten letter.
And...
A gold police badge stained with dried blood.
Sarah's hands began to shake.
"Oh my God..."
Michael whispered,
"This is everything."
Emily unfolded the letter.
May you like
It began with only six words.
"If you're reading this... they killed me."
