Chapter 10 - The Silver Clip|
The next morning, Evelyn was sitting in the nursery with Mia, brushing the young girl's dark, silky hair.
As she gently unclasped the small silver clip that Mia always wore, Evelyn noticed something unusual about the metal hinge. The clip was heavier than a child's hair accessory should be, carved from thick sterling silver with an ornate floral pattern.
Evelyn examined it closely under the window light.
On the back of the clip, hidden beneath the spring mechanism, was a tiny, microscopic seam.
Evelyn’s heart began to race. She used her fingernail to press against a small decorative notch near the base.
Click.
The back panel of the silver clip slid open, revealing a hollow interior. Inside lay a tiny, custom-engraved brass key, no larger than a postage stamp.
Mia reached out, gently placing her hand over Evelyn's fingers. She looked into Evelyn's eyes and gave a slow, deliberate nod.
This was what Celeste had left behind. Before she vanished, she hadn't taken everything—she had hidden the key to her secret right on her daughter's head, knowing no one would ever take a child's favorite hair clip away.
Evelyn looked at the tiny brass key in her palm. The keyhole on the heavy iron door in the wine cellar flashed in her mind.
She looked at Mia. "This fits the sea cellar door, doesn't it?"
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Mia didn't speak, but she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Evelyn's shoulder in a gesture of profound, silent trust.
Evelyn closed her hand around the key. The time for waiting was over. Tonight, she would go down into the dark.
