Chapter 7 - The West Gate
They reached the west grounds in less than five minutes.
The gate stood open.
Beyond it, an overgrown service road disappeared into oak trees behind the estate.
Fresh tire tracks cut through the mud.
"Rafael left," Daniel said.
Sofia called him.
Straight to voicemail.
Mara walked to the gatepost and touched a faded blue mark painted on the stone.
"I've seen this before."
"Where?"
"On the back of my grandmother's key box."
They followed the road on foot because a fallen branch blocked Sofia's car. Half a mile into the woods, they found an abandoned gardener's cottage.
The broken lock, open drawers, and scattered papers showed someone had searched the cottage in a hurry.
Mara moved through the rooms slowly.
"My grandmother brought me here once when I was little," she said. "I thought it was a dream."
Sofia turned. "Here?"
Mara nodded. "I remember the blue window frames."
In the back bedroom, Daniel found an old trunk shoved beneath the bed.
It was empty except for a child's knitted sweater and a newspaper clipping from 2007.
WOMAN FOUND AFTER HIGHWAY CRASH - IDENTITY UNKNOWN.
Mara took the clipping.
The article said the woman had been found unconscious sixty miles north of the mansion. No identification. Severe head trauma. Transferred to a private rehabilitation center after an anonymous payment.
The photograph was grainy.
But the woman had a white streak in her dark hair.
"That's her," Sofia said.
Mara pressed a hand to her mouth.
Daniel checked the article's date.
"Three weeks after Mara was born."
Sofia's phone rang.
Her mother.
"Sofia," Elena said, breathing hard. "Rafael came back. He knows you found the ledger."
"Where are you?"
"Library. Listen to me. Do not return through the main house."
A loud bang sounded through the phone.
Then Elena gasped.
The call went dead.
May you like
Mara looked toward the mansion through the trees.
Sofia was already running.
