Grace Found an Old Place Card at the Family Table — Then Grandma Margaret Said, “You Told Me You Got Rid of Everything
Chapter 5 — Someone Took the Box
Victoria stared at the empty shelf.
“No.”
Margaret looked behind several storage bins.
Nothing.
“When did you last see it?”
“Maybe six months ago.”
“Who knows it’s here?”
“Nobody.”
Margaret gave her a hard look.
“Clearly somebody does.”
Victoria checked the attic window.
Locked.
No sign of forced entry.
Then she remembered the housekeeper.
And the gardeners.
And the contractor who had repaired the roof two weeks earlier.
Too many people had legitimate reasons to enter the house.
Victoria called her husband, James.
He was away on business.
When she mentioned Evelyn’s place card, he became unusually quiet.
“James?”
“I’m here.”
“Do you know anything about the cedar box?”
Another pause.
“What box?”
Victoria immediately noticed the hesitation.
“The box I told you about after we got married.”
James said:
“I thought you destroyed it.”
Margaret, listening beside her, whispered:
“You told him?”
Victoria nodded.
James knew.
And James also worked for Harper & Lane.
He had joined the company several years after Evelyn disappeared.
Eventually, he became its chief financial officer.
Victoria’s voice changed.
“James, when are you coming home?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Come today.”
“Victoria—”
“Someone has been inside this house.”
James went silent again.
Then he said something that made Margaret stare at the phone.
“Call the police before you open anything else.”
Victoria whispered:
“How do you know there’s anything else to open?”
James disconnected.
