Chapter 4 - LOCKER 317
Union Station was crowded when Marcus arrived with Ruth.
Emma remained under police protection at the hospital.
Ruth hated leaving her.
But Thomas had hidden the key for a reason.
Locker 317 stood at the far end of an old storage corridor.
Marcus inserted the brass key.
The lock clicked.
Inside sat one black briefcase.
Nothing else.
Marcus opened it.
Documents.
Photographs.
A burner phone.
And a sealed envelope addressed to Ruth.
Her hands shook.
She opened it.
Ruth,
If you are reading this, I failed to finish what Daniel started.
Trust no document dated after Daniel’s death without verifying it yourself.
Caroline is dangerous.
But she is not the person you should fear most.
Ruth stopped.
Marcus read over her shoulder.
Below that was another sentence.
The person behind this has been sitting at our family table for years.
Ruth looked at Marcus.
“My family?”
A photograph fell from the envelope.
Thanksgiving.
Three years earlier.
Thomas.
Ruth.
Emma.
Caroline.
And Ruth’s older brother.
Charles Bennett.
Marcus pointed.
“Who is he?”
“My brother.”
“What does he do?”
“He manages the family properties.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Meaning the trust.”
Ruth felt sick.
The burner phone suddenly rang.
Both stared at it.
Marcus answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a distorted voice.
“You opened the locker.”
Marcus motioned for Ruth to remain silent.
“Who is this?”
“You have something that belongs to us.”
“What?”
“The ledger.”
Marcus searched the briefcase.
There was no ledger.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
The voice laughed.
“Then Thomas hid it somewhere else.”
The call ended.
Ruth looked inside the briefcase again.
A photograph showed Thomas standing beside Emma.
Bunny was in Emma’s arms.
Written on the back:
THE RABBIT REMEMBERS EVERYTHING.
Ruth whispered,
“Oh God.”
They had taken the wrong evidence out of Bunny.
May you like
Something else was still inside.
And Emma was alone at the hospital.
