Chapter 2 - The Space Nobody Mentioned
Police found no trapped person.
By the time officers entered crawlspace through a basement service hatch, whoever had reached through floor was gone.
That should have been impossible.
The cavity did not appear on David’s house plans.
Yet behind foundation wall investigators found a narrow brick corridor.
It ran beneath living room and connected to an old storm cellar twenty yards behind property.
The cellar exit had been concealed under landscaping.
Someone could enter and leave without using house.
David stared at Claire.
“You knew about this?”
“No.”
“The person specifically said you know why they have my mother’s locket.”
“I know about locket.”
There it was.
Claire had seen it before.
Six months earlier.
In an envelope.
No return address.
Inside was photograph of silver locket resting on a newspaper.
Written beneath:
ASK DAVID WHAT EVELYN HID UNDER THE HOUSE.
Claire had thrown it away.
“Why?”
“I thought someone was trying to scare us.”
“You didn't tell me?”
“Your mother died before we met. I thought it was some sick scam.”
Then another envelope arrived.
This time:
IF HE OPENS THE FLOOR, THEY WILL KNOW.
Claire burned it.
David stared at her.
“You received a warning specifically telling you not to let me open floor. Today you tried stopping me.”
“Yes.”
“And you still expect me to believe you don't know who was underneath?”
“I don't.”
David wanted to believe her.
Then police found something in tunnel.
A backpack.
Water.
Flashlight.
Medical supplies.
Someone had been staying there recently.
But not for weeks.
Probably hours.
Inside backpack was old photograph.
Evelyn Carter.
David’s mother.
Beside her stood David’s father, Richard Carter.
And another man David didn't recognize.
On back:
CEDAR HOUSE — 2004.
David frowned.
His mother died in 2007.
Their current home had been purchased by David only four years ago.
“What's Cedar House?”
Claire answered too quickly.
“I don't know.”
David looked at her.
Again.
Another lie.
Then detective turned photograph toward light.
There was a fourth person in background.
A young woman.
Claire.
May you like
David stared.
Photograph was dated eleven years before he had supposedly met his wife.
