The Envelope Under the Floorboard
Chapter 05 - The Envelope Under the Floorboard
Mason pushed Emily, Anna, and Eleanor into the closet and shut the door. Through a narrow crack, Emily saw a flashlight sweep across the room. Someone entered, crossed directly to the lifted floorboard, and cursed when the hiding place was empty.
Mason stepped out. The intruder ran through the kitchen and escaped over the back fence before Mason could identify him. Outside, Thomas found a black sedan pulling away without license plates.
They returned to the estate with the metal box. The letter inside had been written by Lydia shortly after the crash. Her handwriting shook across the page.
Mother, Samuel is gone. I am hurt, and they say my memory may not return fully. A man came to the hospital asking for the baby. He said Father sent him, but he knew things only Julian’s father would know. I gave my daughter to a social worker until I could reach you safely. Her name is Emily Rose. Please find her. Please tell her I did not leave her.
Eleanor pressed the paper to her chest.
Julian’s father, Robert, had managed the family’s legal affairs at the time. He died eight years later and left Julian his files and position. Thomas remembered that Robert strongly supported their father’s decision to disinherit Lydia. If Lydia’s daughter had returned, the inheritance arrangement would have changed.
The hospital bracelet and letter were photographed, sealed, and sent to an independent forensic expert. Eleanor insisted that the DNA test be handled by a hospital with no Blackwood business connection. Emily provided a sample, as did Eleanor.
For the first time, Emily allowed herself to imagine a family larger than Anna. Eleanor showed her Lydia’s childhood room, still painted pale blue. Thomas found an old music box that played the melody built into the locket. When Emily turned its key, the tiny tune felt strangely familiar.
That evening, Julian appeared at the estate carrying flowers and an apology. He claimed his suspicion came from fear that Eleanor would be exploited.
“I hope the test brings you peace,” he told Emily.
She noticed a fresh scratch across his hand, but said nothing.
Later, Julian met a courier in a parking garage. He handed him two identical medical envelopes and an envelope of cash.
“Make sure the wrong sample reaches the lab,” Julian said. “And destroy the other one.”
Neither man noticed the small dashboard camera in a parked delivery van.
Three days later, the test result arrived.
Probability of biological relationship: 0.0 percent.
May you like
Eleanor’s hands began to shake. Thomas stared at Emily with a grief that looked almost like betrayal.
Julian stood behind them, silent and satisfied.
