Chapter 2 - The West Library
The guests left early.
No one wanted to admit why.
By midnight, only family, staff, and Julian’s attorney remained in the mansion.
Mara was still there.
Julian stood in the west library facing the paneled wall from the portrait.
Charles stood behind him.
“This is ridiculous.”
Julian ignored him.
“Mara. Show me.”
“There.”
Julian ran his hand over the wood.
Smooth.
Old.
Expensive.
Charles said, “It was installed in the nineties.”
Mara looked at him.
Charles stopped.
Julian turned.
“It was.”
“You told me the wall had always been solid.”
Charles rubbed his jaw.
“It is solid.”
Julian knocked.
Most of the wall answered with a dull thud.
Hollow.
Nobody spoke.
Julian knocked again.
Hollow.
Mara whispered, “That’s it.”
Charles stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Julian looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because you are tearing into a historic house based on a maid’s story.”
Mara’s face hardened.
Julian heard it too.
“A maid?”
Charles said, “You know what I mean.”
Julian turned to Mara.
“What was your mother’s name?”
“Lucia Santos.”
“And her sister?”
“Elena.”
Julian’s attorney, Rebecca Sloan, typed something into her phone.
“Last name Santos?”
Mara nodded.
Rebecca searched public records.
Then stopped.
Julian looked at her.
“Elena Santos. Age twenty-four. Reported missing October 16, 1989.”
Mara closed her eyes.
Charles went pale.
Julian saw it.
“I was twenty-six.”
“And?”
Charles walked toward the door.
Julian said, “Dad.”
He stopped.
“What happened October 16, 1989?”
Charles did not turn around.
“Nothing you need to know.”
Then he left.
Julian looked back at the wall.
May you like
For the first time, the hollow sound felt less like architecture.
More like a warning.
