Chapter 9 - The Room Beneath the House
The basement was colder than the rest of the mansion.
Natalie found a hidden door behind a shelving unit.
Inside was a small room.
No windows.
No furniture.
Only boxes.
Hundreds of them.
Each one was labeled with dates.
Natalie opened the first.
Bank statements.
The second.
Business records.
The third.
Photographs.
She found her grandmother's handwriting.
Every box documented something.
Payments.
Transfers.
Meetings.
Names.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Cynthia Hayes.
But Cynthia's name was not the most disturbing.
A second name appeared beside hers.
Daniel Hayes.
Natalie sat on the floor.
Her father had not simply been weak.
He had been involved.
She opened another box.
Inside was a letter addressed to her.
Natalie,
If you found this room, then Daniel finally failed to protect you.
She stopped reading.
The next line made her heart race.
He will tell you he had no choice.
Do not believe him.
Natalie continued.
There was only one person who knew the entire truth.
I never trusted her.
Natalie turned the page.
The name was missing.
Someone had torn it away.
She searched the box.
Nothing.
Then she heard footsteps upstairs.
Natalie froze.
Someone was inside the house.
She shut off the light.
The footsteps moved slowly across the floor above her.
Then stopped.
A voice called her name.
“Natalie?”
Daniel.
She nearly cried with relief.
But then she heard another voice behind him.
Cynthia.
“She isn't here.”
Natalie covered her mouth.
May you like
They had come inside.
And they were searching for the room.
