Emma Was Blamed for Breaking Grandma Margaret’s Vase — Then the Pet Camera Revealed What Really Knocked It Over
Chapter 4 — Locker 27
The number on the key began to make sense the next morning.
Claire contacted the old Millstone railway station.
Most of the original building had been converted into a local history center.
But several antique storage lockers remained in the basement.
One of them was numbered 27.
Margaret stared at Claire.
“You think that’s what the key opens?”
“There’s one way to find out.”
They drove there together.
Emma came too.
She refused to leave Cooper behind after everyone had stopped blaming him for the vase.
The history center manager led them downstairs.
Locker 27 was narrow and painted dark green.
Claire inserted the brass key.
It turned.
Margaret covered her mouth.
Inside was a small leather case.
A stack of letters.
And an envelope marked:
FOR MARGARET WHEN SHE IS OLD ENOUGH.
The handwriting belonged to Eleanor.
Margaret sat on the basement steps.
Her hands shook as she opened it.
The letter began:
Margaret, if Thomas ever tells you River House was lost, do not believe him.
Claire looked at her mother.
Margaret continued reading.
Eleanor claimed Thomas had pressured her to sign property papers after Arthur’s death.
She refused.
Then documents began appearing with signatures she had never made.
She suspected Thomas intended to take Arthur’s half of the land.
So Eleanor copied everything she could find.
Deeds.
Letters.
Bank records.
Then hid them in Locker 27.
The leather case contained those copies.
But the final page of Eleanor’s letter mentioned something even more valuable.
Arthur’s original deed is not here. I placed it somewhere Thomas would never think to break.
Margaret looked toward Claire.
Both women thought of the same thing.
The vase.
