Chapter 16 - Behind the Pegboard
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“It’s a wall safe,” Detective Hale murmured, examining the steel panel. “No combination dial. Just a small keyhole.”
I stepped closer, studying the keyhole.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind—a memory from when I was twelve years old, helping Dad clean out his study after my mother passed away.
I remembered Dad holding a small carved wooden bird that sat on his desk. He had smiled down at me and said, “Ellie, if anything ever happens to me, remember that the little bird always keeps the golden key safe inside its nest.”
“I know where the key is,” I whispered.
I walked out of the garage, through the side hallway, and into my father’s quiet study. The room was dusty, untouched since the night of the attack.
Sitting on the corner of his mahogany desk was the small carved wooden bird.
I picked it up. I turned it upside down and pressed the tiny hidden latch on the base. The bottom of the carving slid open, and a small, antique brass key dropped into my palm.
My heart hammered in my chest as I walked back to the garage.
“Will this work?” Sarah asked, watching intently.
I stepped up to the steel panel, inserted the brass key into the lock, and turned it.
May you like
CLICK.
The heavy steel door popped open.
