Not Daniel’s.
Not Thomas’s.
The sound came from beneath the chest.
We lifted it.
Taped to the underside was an unfamiliar mobile phone.
The screen displayed one incoming call.
LENORA VALE.
The three of us looked at one another.
Then I answered.
A woman’s voice spoke before I could say anything.
“Hello, Claire.”
Her tone was smooth, controlled, almost affectionate.
“I’ve been waiting thirty-one years to hear your voice.”
“You destroyed my family.”
A soft sigh.
“Carl always did enjoy dramatic stories.”
“Did you lock us inside the cabin?”
“No. I sent someone to warn you away. Locking you inside would have been childish.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because Carl lied about the one fact that matters most.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What fact?”
“Your mother Evelyn did not d/i/e three days after the @ccident.”
The room seemed to lose all air.
