Chapter 5 - The Photograph
Mara stopped breathing.
“Where did you get that?”
Adrian looked at the photograph.
A younger Samuel stood beside Adrian’s father.
And beside them was Evelyn Ellis.
Mara’s mother.
“This was taken twenty-four years ago,” Adrian said.
“That’s impossible.”
Samuel entered behind her.
“No.”
Mara turned.
“You knew my mother?”
Samuel nodded.
“She worked here.”
“She was a nurse at Briar County.”
“Later.”
Mara looked at Room Nine.
“What did she do here?”
Samuel answered quietly.
“She helped build it.”
Mara laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
“My mother couldn’t keep a secret about Christmas presents.”
“She kept this one.”
“Why?”
Adrian handed her a folder.
Her mother’s name was written across the front.
EVELYN ELLIS.
Mara opened it.
Inside were letters.
Medical notes.
And a photograph of Mara as a baby.
Her hands began shaking.
Samuel said, “Your mother saved Adrian once.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I was seventeen.”
“What happened?”
“My father’s enemies attacked our home. Your mother treated me here.”
Mara stared at him.
“Why didn’t she ever tell me?”
“Because afterward she left.”
Samuel looked ashamed.
“She wanted nothing to do with this family.”
Mara understood immediately.
“She moved to Briar County.”
“Yes.”
“And bought the cottage.”
Samuel nodded.
“Because she knew where Room Nine was.”
Mara sat down.
Her entire childhood had suddenly shifted beneath her.
Adrian said, “There’s another letter.”
Mara found it.
Her name was written across the envelope.
MARA.
She opened it.
The message was short.
If you ever find Room Nine, then someone is in trouble.
Help the innocent.
Trust Samuel.
Never trust the Vale name blindly.
Judge the man carrying it.
Mara read the last sentence twice.
Then looked at Adrian.
He gave a tired smile.
“Your mother sounds like you.”
“She sounds smarter.”
“Also possible.”
Leo stirred.
“Mara?”
“I’m here.”
“Is Dad okay?”
She checked Adrian’s monitor.
“For now.”
Adrian frowned.
“For now?”
“You lost a lot of blood.”
“I’ve had worse.”
Mara pointed at him.
“That sentence is banned.”
Leo laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh Mara had heard from him.
Adrian stared at his son.
Something in his face softened.
Then Samuel entered holding a phone.
“Adrian.”
The mood changed immediately.
“What?”
“Victor wasn’t working alone.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Who?”
Samuel placed the phone on the table.
Security footage appeared.
A man was entering Mara’s cottage.
Not one of Victor’s men.
Mara recognized him.
Dr. Grant Holloway.
Director of Briar County Urgent Care.
Her boss.
Mara stared.
“Grant?”
Samuel nodded.
“He accessed your employee records yesterday.”
Adrian looked at Mara.
“He knew where you lived.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Why?”
Adrian answered.
“Because Victor didn’t follow us here.”
Mara looked at him.
“He knew where we were going.”
“Yes.”
“Which means…”
Adrian finished the thought.
May you like
“Someone knew about Room Nine before we arrived.”
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