Complicated, irritating, tenderhearted Carl.
The ambulance left.
Daniel, Thomas, and I remained at Vale House while investigators cataloged the archive.
Near midnight, Daniel found a locked metal case beneath Lucas’s desk. The bracelet key opened it.
Inside were legal papers, property maps, and a sealed letter.
The envelope read:
CLAIRE—ONLY AFTER YOU FIND LUCAS.
My hands stopped shaking.
Perhaps I had simply reached the limit of surprise.
I opened it.
Dear Claire,
Finding your father was the one miracle I wanted and could not promise.
I suspected Lenora kept him alive because she never stopped searching the lake for his body. Guilt makes people avoid a place. Fear makes them return to it. She returned every year.
The signal from your tablet was designed to unlock the underground archive and alert investigators. If Lucas was there, you would find him.
I wish I could see your face when you do.
