Chapter 4 - Secrets in the Drywall
We stepped inside, David keeping a defensive posture just behind me. The house felt different now—no longer a sanctuary, but a crime scene. The spot on the tile where Eli had collapsed seemed to glow with a horrific significance.
We searched the ground floor first. The kitchen was immaculate, the dishes done, the counters wiped clean. It was too clean. It felt deliberate, an attempt to erase any sign of a struggle.
"He's not here," David muttered, checking the back door, which was locked from the inside.
"Let's check Eli's room," I whispered, a sudden spike of panic hitting me.
We walked up the stairs, the wooden steps creaking under our weight. Eli's room was at the end of the hall. The door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open slowly, half expecting Ryan to be waiting in the shadows.
The room was empty, but it was in total disarray. Eli’s desk drawers had been pulled out, their contents spilled across the carpet. His comic books, school papers, and clothes were scattered everywhere. Someone had been looking for something.
"Eli didn't just get hurt," I realized, stepping over a pile of papers. "He was attacked because he found something. Or because he was hiding something."
David knelt down by the closet. "Look at this."
He pointed to the drywall near the baseboard inside the closet. A small section of the wall had been neatly cut out and then loosely replaced. It was a secret compartment, one I had never known existed.
I rushed over and pulled the piece of drywall away. Inside the dark recess lay a heavy, black leather ledger and a small, encrypted USB drive.
I pulled them out, my hands trembling. I opened the ledger. The pages were filled with columns of names, dates, and large monetary amounts, accompanied by terms like "freight," "clearance," and "disposal." Many of the names were high-profile corporate figures in the city—including several executives from my own company.
"This is an extortion ring," David whispered over my shoulder, his eyes wide. "Ryan wasn't just a thug. He was the enforcer for a massive blackmail operation. And it looks like he was using your house as a drop point."
Suddenly, the floorboards outside the room creaked.
May you like
We both froze. A shadow elongated across the hallway floor, blocking the light from the stairs.
"You always were too curious for your own good, sis," Ryan's voice drifted into the room, smooth, relaxed, and utterly devoid of warmth.
