Chapter 15 - The Contractor's Secret
That evening Daniel visited the local construction company whose logo appeared on an old renovation invoice Samuel had discovered.
The business had changed owners years ago.
Only one retired foreman still remembered the project.
After hearing Daniel's name, the old man fell silent.
"I've wondered if you'd ever come back."
Daniel asked one question.
"What did you build?"
The foreman hesitated.
"We didn't ask questions."
"You were overseas."
"Rebecca said she had your permission."
"What did you build?"
The man sighed heavily.
"A reinforced room."
"Hidden behind the office."
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"For what purpose?"
"She said it would be a secure archive."
"We installed concrete walls."
"Steel doors."
"A separate ventilation system."
"Sound insulation."
Every answer made less sense than the one before.
"Did you ever see what was stored inside?"
"No."
"But..."
The foreman looked around the empty café before lowering his voice.
"Near the end of the project..."
"I heard someone crying."
Daniel felt the blood drain from his face.
"It sounded like a child."
The foreman reached into his worn wallet and removed a faded business card.
On the back he had written an address fifteen years earlier.
"I kept this because something never felt right."
"It isn't your house."
"It's an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town."
Daniel examined the address.
May you like
Below it, in shaky handwriting, the foreman had added one final note.
Several trucks left there before dawn every month... carrying boxes marked with Lily's initials.
