Chapter 18 - The Names in the Journal
Margaret opened the leather journal with trembling hands.
Every page had been written in Eleanor's unmistakable handwriting.
Not stories.
Not memories.
Investigations.
She had secretly documented every Custodian family over nearly fifteen years.
Meetings.
Financial records.
Private conversations.
Hidden locations.
Each chapter ended with the same sentence.
Insufficient evidence. Continue observing.
Rebecca turned several pages farther.
Near the back appeared a section titled:
People I Trust Completely
Only four names appeared.
Margaret Ellis.
Daniel Ellis.
Rebecca Brooks.
Arthur Hale.
Arthur looked stunned.
"She trusted me after all."
Helen smiled sadly.
"Enough to keep watching you."
Margaret frowned.
"Then who was she afraid of?"
No answer appeared.
Instead, the final pages had been torn out cleanly.
Daniel searched the cedar chest again.
"There should be more."
He felt beneath the false bottom.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside rested a folded railway ticket.
Departure Date:
October 14, 1983.
Destination:
North Haven.
Passenger:
Eleanor Ellis.
Attached to the ticket was a photograph never before seen.
It showed Eleanor standing beside a teenage boy of about sixteen.
Margaret immediately recognized the boy.
It was Daniel.
Only...
Daniel had been nine years old in 1983.
Rebecca stared at the photograph.
"This can't be possible."
Arthur slowly lowered the picture.
"Unless..."
He stopped speaking.
Margaret demanded, "Unless what?"
Arthur answered carefully.
May you like
"Unless this photograph wasn't taken in 1983."
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