Chapter 8 - Someone Was Listening
Every pair of eyes turned toward the attic door.
The old wooden panel creaked open by only a few inches before stopping.
Silence filled the hallway.
Detective Morris slowly rested one hand on his holster.
"Is anyone up there?"
No answer came.
Michael Carter signaled two security officers.
They climbed the narrow staircase carefully while everyone below waited.
Margaret felt her heartbeat quicken.
The attic had remained locked since Richard's funeral.
She had not entered it in more than twenty years.
One officer pushed the door completely open.
The beam of his flashlight swept across dusty furniture, old trunks, and stacks of forgotten boxes.
Nothing moved.
After several moments he called downstairs.
"It's empty."
Michael frowned.
"It wasn't empty a minute ago."
The officer continued searching until he reached a small attic window.
It was open.
Fresh footprints covered the dusty floor.
Someone had escaped across the roof.
Detective Nolan immediately radioed for officers outside.
Within seconds, several patrol units surrounded the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, Michael knelt beside the footprints.
"The dust was undisturbed until today."
He looked toward Daniel.
"Who has been entering this attic?"
Daniel folded his arms.
"I've never been up there."
Linda nodded quickly.
"Neither have I."
Margaret quietly spoke.
"That's not true."
Everyone looked at her.
"Three months ago, I woke up around two in the morning. I heard footsteps above my bedroom."
Daniel immediately interrupted.
"You imagined it."
Margaret ignored him.
"I thought it was rats."
Michael slowly examined the attic floor again.
"No rats leave footprints wearing work boots."
One of the security officers opened an old storage cabinet.
Inside were empty food wrappers.
Several bottles of drinking water.
A sleeping bag.
A portable radio.
Someone had been living inside the attic.
For how long...
No one knew.
Detective Nolan looked directly at Daniel.
"I think our investigation just became much larger."
Daniel's forehead glistened with sweat.
May you like
For the first time that day...
He looked genuinely afraid.
