Chapter 4: The Voice in the Dark
“You should never have opened that letter.””
Harrison froze.
The voice had come from directly behind him.
Low.
Male.
Close enough that Harrison could feel warm breath against his ear.
Then the house plunged into chaos.
Someone screamed from the kitchen.
A chair scraped violently across the floor.
Glass shattered.
“Turn on the lights!”” Daniel shouted.
“I’m trying!”” Sarah yelled.
Harrison spun around.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
He reached for the wall, his fingers searching for the light switch.
Someone crashed into the dining table.
“Get away from me!””
Mia screamed.
Daniel shouted her name.
“Dad!””
Harrison felt a hand seize his shoulder.
He swung around instinctively.
“Who is that?””
“It’s me!”” Daniel said.
Harrison gripped his son's arm.
“Someone was behind me.””
“What?””
“A man.””
Daniel immediately turned.
“Victor?””
“I don't know.””
Victor's voice came from across the room.
“I’m here.””
Harrison heard him moving toward them.
“Don't move,” Victor warned.
“Why?”” Daniel asked.
“Because whoever cut the power may still be inside.””
The words silenced everyone.
For three seconds, there was nothing but breathing.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
Dim red bulbs along the hallway came alive.
Harrison looked around.
Daniel stood beside him.
Victor was near the dining table.
Sarah had her arms around her daughter.
Elaine was holding a broken wineglass.
And Mia—
Mia was staring at the kitchen doorway.
Her face was white.
“What happened?”” Daniel asked.
Mia pointed toward the kitchen.
“He was there.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
Daniel crossed the room.
“Mia, did you see him?””
She nodded.
“Then tell me what he looked like.””
“I couldn't.””
“Why?””
“He was wearing a mask.””
Victor stepped forward.
“What kind?””
Mia looked at him.
“A black one.””
Victor's expression changed.
Harrison noticed.
“You know something.””
Victor shook his head.
“No.””
“You reacted.””
“I reacted because someone broke into this house.””
Harrison stared at him.
“You're lying.””
Victor's jaw tightened.
“Not now.””
Daniel stepped between them.
“Enough.””
He pulled out his phone.
“No signal.””
Sarah checked hers.
“Mine either.””
Victor walked toward the front door.
He tried the handle.
Locked.
He tried again.
“It won't open.””
Daniel frowned.
“It's a normal lock.””
“Not anymore.””
Victor pointed toward the electronic panel beside the door.
“The security system has been overridden.””
Harrison felt a chill move down his spine.
“From inside?””
Victor nodded.
“From inside.””
Mia began shaking.
Daniel noticed.
“Mia.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“You said you didn't know who was here.””
“I don't.””
“Then why do you look like you know exactly what he wants?””
Mia said nothing.
Harrison watched her.
Then his gaze fell on the letter Daniel was still holding.
The emergency light illuminated three handwritten lines.
Daniel read them again.
His voice trembled.
“Mom wrote, ‘If Mia ever accuses you, don't defend yourself until you find the blue box.’”
Harrison nodded slowly.
“The blue box.””
Victor looked at him.
“You know where it is?””
“No.””
Mia whispered,
“Yes.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel stared at her.
“You know?””
Mia looked down.
“Your mother showed it to me.””
Harrison stepped closer.
“When?””
“Two days before she died.””
“Why?””
Mia hesitated.
“She told me she didn't trust anyone.””
Daniel's voice sharpened.
“Did she trust you?””
Mia looked at him.
“I wanted her to.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
Mia closed her eyes.
“No.””
Harrison felt something inside him collapse.
“You were the person she feared.””
Mia opened her eyes.
“At first.””
Daniel stared.
“What does that mean?””
Mia swallowed.
“Your mother discovered I had been taking money.””
Daniel went still.
“How much?””
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie to me.””
“About three hundred thousand dollars.””
Sarah gasped.
Daniel looked at Victor.
“And you knew?””
Victor nodded.
“I discovered the transfers while working for Margaret.””
Harrison's voice hardened.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Margaret wouldn't let me.””
“Why?””
“Because she believed whoever was moving the money was watching the house.””
A sudden thump came from upstairs.
Everyone looked toward the ceiling.
Then another.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Someone was walking across the second floor.
Daniel whispered,
“Dad…”
Harrison looked at Victor.
“Your turn.””
Victor shook his head.
“I stay here.””
Daniel grabbed a fireplace poker.
“I'll go.””
Harrison caught his arm.
“No.””
“Dad—”
“It's exactly what he wants.””
Victor nodded.
“He wants someone separated from the group.””
The footsteps stopped.
Then a man's voice floated down the staircase.
“Daniel.””
Daniel went pale.
It was his father's voice.
Perfectly imitated.
“Come upstairs.””
Sarah whispered,
“That sounds like Dad.””
Harrison stared toward the stairs.
“It isn't me.””
The voice came again.
“Daniel, I need you.””
Daniel tightened his grip on the poker.
“Whoever you are, show yourself.””
Silence.
Then the upstairs camera suddenly rotated.
Its tiny red light turned toward them.
Victor looked at the screen on Daniel's phone.
“Someone has accessed the camera system.””
Harrison stepped closer.
“Can you see him?””
Victor shook his head.
“No.””
The image on the phone flickered.
Then a figure appeared.
Standing at the end of the upstairs hallway.
Black mask.
Black coat.
Motionless.
Mia covered her mouth.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“That's him.””
Victor whispered,
“No.””
Harrison looked at him.
“What?””
Victor's eyes were fixed on the figure.
“That isn't the man you need to worry about.””
Before anyone could ask what he meant, the masked figure raised one hand.
He held something.
A blue box.
Harrison's breath caught.
“That's Margaret's.””
The figure placed the box on the floor.
Then walked out of view.
Daniel looked at Victor.
“What is inside it?””
Victor didn't answer.
Mia began crying.
“I thought it was gone.””
Harrison turned toward her.
“What?””
“The box.””
“You told me your mother showed it to you.””
“She did.””
“What was inside?””
Mia stared at him.
“A recording.””
The emergency lights flickered.
Victor suddenly moved toward the stairs.
Daniel stopped him.
“Wait.””
Victor looked back.
“The box is bait.””
Harrison's eyes narrowed.
“Then why show it to us?””
Victor looked toward the dark staircase.
“Because whoever planted it knows exactly what Margaret wrote in that letter.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“And how would he know?””
Victor didn't answer.
Harrison suddenly understood.
Only three people had known about the letter.
Margaret.
Victor.
And—
He looked at Mia.
Mia whispered,
“I didn't tell anyone.””
The upstairs hallway went silent again.
Then the front door unlocked by itself.
*Click.*
Everyone turned.
The door slowly swung open.
Cold night air entered the house.
And standing outside was a police officer.
He looked at Harrison.
Then at Mia.
Then at the torn blouse.
“Mr. Harrison?””
Harrison nodded cautiously.
“Yes?””
The officer stepped inside.
“We received a call about an assault.””
Daniel looked stunned.
“Who called?””
The officer glanced at Mia.
“She did.””
Mia's eyes widened.
“I didn't.””
The officer frowned.
“You called from this address twenty minutes ago.””
Mia shook her head.
“No.””
The officer pulled out his phone.
“Then someone used your phone.””
Harrison looked toward the dining table.
Mia's purse was gone.
So was her phone.
And then Victor whispered something that made Harrison's blood run cold.
“The caller wasn't asking the police to come here.””
Harrison looked at him.
“What was he asking for?””
May you like
Victor stared at the open door.
“He was asking them to arrest you.””
