Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Basement
James took Emily downstairs.
The basement was nothing like the rest of the house.
It was unfinished.
Concrete walls.
Old shelves.
Dusty boxes.
At the far end stood a metal cabinet.
James opened it.
Inside were dozens of photographs.
Emily looked through them.
Sarah appeared in almost every image.
Young.
Smiling.
Alive.
Then Emily found one photograph that made her stop.
Sarah was standing beside Ryan.
But they weren't alone.
Linda stood behind them.
Emily whispered.
“Linda knew her.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't she ever say anything?”
James shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Emily turned another photograph over.
On the back was an address.
She recognized it.
It was the address of a property Linda owned.
Emily looked at her father.
“Dad.”
James saw the photograph.
His expression hardened.
“I thought that house was sold.”
“It wasn't.”
“How do you know?”
“Ryan mentioned it once.”
James took the photograph.
“We're going there.”
Emily hesitated.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
The property was nearly an hour outside the city.
The house looked abandoned.
The windows were covered.
The yard was overgrown.
James walked around the back.
Emily followed.
He stopped beside a basement door.
There was a new lock.
James examined it.
“Someone has been here recently.”
Emily felt cold.
“Who?”
James didn't answer.
He forced the door open.
Inside, the air smelled old and damp.
They descended.
At the bottom of the stairs, Emily saw something scratched into the wall.
Three letters.
S.B.
James touched them.
His hand trembled.
Then they heard a sound.
A faint movement behind another door.
Emily froze.
“Dad…”
James raised one hand.
They listened.
Nothing.
Then again.
A soft knock.
Emily stepped closer.
James grabbed her arm.
“Don't.”
The knock came again.
Three times.
Emily whispered.
“Someone's inside.”
James looked at the door.
Then he noticed something on the floor.
A photograph.
He picked it up.
It showed Sarah.
Older.
Standing in the same basement.
On the back was a sentence.
IF JAMES FINDS THIS, TELL HIM I NEVER BLAMED HIM.
Emily looked at her father.
“Blamed you for what?”
James didn't answer.
Because from behind the door came a woman's voice.
May you like
“James?”
His face went completely white.
