Chapter 6 - ROOM 614

Marco moved first.

The sound came from behind an old freight door.

Security surrounded the door. Vincent tried to pull Emma back; she made him release her.

Marco opened the door.

Thomas sat on the floor.

Alive.

Emma ran to him.

“Dad!”

“I’m okay.”

“You disappeared from a hospital.”

“They said they had Lily.”

Emma froze.

“What?”

A caller sent Thomas a photo claiming Lily had been taken. He came to the warehouse, where someone struck him and searched his clothes.

“They wanted the notebook,” Thomas said.

Emma showed him the toolbox.

His face collapsed.

“You found it.”

“Yes.”

Vincent crouched nearby.

“Room 614.”

Thomas looked at him.

“You know?”

“No.”

Thomas glanced at Emma.

Then sighed.

“Lakeshore Moretti. Sixth floor. Room 614 was permanently taken out of inventory after the fire.”

Vincent frowned.

“I’ve never heard that.”

“Your father wanted it forgotten.”

Police confirmed Lily was safe.

At ten, Isabella called.

“Come tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because Room 614 belonged to Carlo.”

The room had been his private office inside the hotel.

After the fire, Carlo sealed it.

Isabella possessed the only remaining key.

The next morning they entered the sealed office through an old service corridor. Dust covered everything.

Thomas limped toward the wall.

“Carlo never trusted drawers.”

He pressed a panel.

A safe appeared.

Isabella entered the combination.

Inside was a cassette recorder.

Three envelopes.

And a ledger.

Vincent opened the first envelope.

CARLO - PERSONAL.

The others were marked ISABELLA and THOMAS CARTER.

Emma stared.

Her father’s name had been waiting in that safe for more than two decades.

Thomas opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

Raymond Langford standing beside the service entrance on the night of the fire.

In his hand was a red fuel can.

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And written on the back in Carlo’s handwriting:

IF RAYMOND EVER COMES BACK FOR THOMAS, THE FIRE WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.