Chapter 2: The Woman Who Didn't Want Me to Know
“Give me that paper.””
Victoria's voice was quiet now.
That frightened me more than when she had screamed.
She stood beside the coffin, one hand gripping her pearl necklace, the other extended toward me.
I stepped closer to Uncle Thomas.
“No.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“Lily, don't make this difficult.””
Thomas moved his arm around my shoulders.
“She's keeping it.””
Victoria laughed once, without humor.
“Since when do you make decisions about my brother's belongings?””
“Since you started trying to take things from his daughter.””
“I'm protecting her.””
“From what?””
Victoria looked at the mourners.
A few people immediately turned away.
She lowered her voice.
“You have no idea what you're getting yourself involved in.””
Thomas leaned closer.
“Then explain it.””
“Not here.””
“You've been saying that for weeks.””
Her eyes flashed.
“Thomas, we are at Daniel's funeral. Have some respect.””
Daniel.
That was my father's name.
Hearing it spoken so coldly made my stomach hurt.
I looked down at the brass key.
“Uncle Thomas, is this Daddy's?””
He crouched again.
“I don't know, sweetheart.””
“Did he hide it?””
Thomas glanced at Victoria.
“I think we need to talk somewhere private.””
Victoria immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Thomas stood.
“Excuse me?””
“She stays with me.””
I frowned.
“But I want to stay with Uncle Thomas.””
Victoria turned toward me.
“Lily, your uncle has been under tremendous stress. He's not thinking clearly.””
Thomas's expression hardened.
“Don't talk about me like I'm not standing here.””
“Then stop acting like you know everything.””
“I know enough to recognize that you're afraid of a piece of paper.””
Victoria looked toward the coffin.
For a second, something passed across her face.
Guilt.
Or perhaps recognition.
Then she reached for the paper again.
Thomas caught her wrist.
“Don't.””
Her mouth fell open.
“You're touching me?””
“I'm stopping you from taking something that belongs to Lily.””
Victoria pulled away.
“Fine. Keep it. But don't come crying to me when you discover what your brother was hiding.””
I looked at her.
“What was Daddy hiding?””
She stared at me for a long moment.
Then she said something that made my heart sink.
“Your father wasn't the man you thought he was.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“That's enough.””
Victoria adjusted her pearl earrings.
“I'm only telling the truth.””
Then she walked away.
Her heels clicked against the marble.
I watched her disappear behind a row of mourners.
“Uncle Thomas?””
“Yes, baby?””
“Did Daddy do something bad?””
Thomas's face softened immediately.
“No.””
“But Aunt Victoria said—”
“Your father loved you more than anything in this world.””
“Then why did he die?””
Thomas looked toward the windows.
The sunlight illuminated the side of his face, revealing how exhausted he was.
“I wish I knew.””
I held the paper tightly.
“Can we find out?””
He looked at the key.
Then he nodded.
“Yes.””
For the first time that morning, I felt a tiny piece of hope.
But it disappeared when Victoria returned with the funeral director.
“Thomas,” she said, “the service is over. The family needs to leave.””
Thomas frowned.
“The service hasn't even reached the final prayer.””
“The director has agreed to move things along.””
The funeral director looked uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Hayes, I said we could begin preparing for the next stage when the family was ready.””
Victoria ignored him.
“Lily needs to go home.””
I shook my head.
“I want to stay with Daddy.””
Thomas knelt beside me.
“Sweetheart, we have to let the funeral director do his job.””
I looked at the coffin.
“Will Daddy be lonely?””
Thomas's eyes filled with tears.
“No, baby. He won't be lonely.””
“Can I say goodbye first?””
“Of course.””
He stepped aside.
I placed my small hand on the white satin edge.
“Daddy, I found your key.””
My voice cracked.
“I don't know what it opens. But I promise I won't lose it.””
I kissed the edge of the coffin.
Then I stepped away.
Thomas took my hand.
As we walked toward the entrance, Victoria approached us.
“Lily, come with me. Your uncle has somewhere else to be.””
Thomas stopped.
“I'll take her home.””
“That's not necessary.””
“She's my niece.””
“And I'm her father's sister.””
Thomas stared at her.
“Exactly. So you should know better than to frighten her.””
Victoria's smile vanished.
“Be careful, Thomas.””
He said nothing.
We walked out together.
Outside, the daylight was almost blinding.
A black luxury SUV waited near the entrance.
Thomas opened the passenger-side rear door for me.
“Climb in, sweetheart.””
I sat down, holding the key and note inside my closed fist.
Thomas walked around to the driver's side.
But before he could open the door, Victoria appeared beside him.
She was holding her phone.
“Thomas. One minute.””
He sighed.
“What now?””
She showed him the screen.
I couldn't see what was written there, but I watched his shoulders stiffen.
“Where did you get that?”” he asked.
“An email.””
“From whom?””
Victoria glanced at me through the window.
Then she lowered her voice.
“Someone who knows about the key.””
Thomas stared at the phone.
“What do they want?””
Victoria swallowed.
“They want us to stop looking.””
Thomas looked toward me.
Then back at her.
“Who's us?””
She didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned closer.
“Your brother wasn't alone the night he died.””
Thomas went completely still.
“What?””
Victoria looked toward the funeral hall.
Then she whispered:
“Someone was with Daniel when his car crashed.””
Thomas gripped the roof of the SUV.
“Who?””
Victoria's eyes flicked toward me again.
“I'll tell you when Lily isn't listening.””
But I was listening.
Every word.
And I had just realized that Aunt Victoria knew something about Daddy's death that she hadn't told anyone.
Thomas opened the driver's door.
“Get in,” he told her.
Victoria frowned.
“Excuse me?””
“We're going to talk.””
“I have arrangements to make.””
“Then make them later.””
He got behind the wheel.
Victoria remained standing beside the SUV.
For several seconds, she watched us.
Then she raised her phone and typed something.
My own phone wasn't with me. Daddy had bought me a little tablet, but Aunt Victoria had taken it after he died, saying children shouldn't be using electronics during a family tragedy.
Still, I could see the screen of her phone reflected in the car window.
A message appeared.
*SHE FOUND IT.*
Victoria pressed send.
A moment later, a reply appeared.
*THEN GET THE KEY BEFORE THOMAS FINDS THE BOX.*
I couldn't read anything else before she turned away.
Thomas started the engine.
“Uncle Thomas?””
“Yes?””
“What box?””
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“What box, sweetheart?””
I swallowed.
“The one Aunt Victoria's friend said we shouldn't find.””
The engine continued humming.
Thomas slowly turned his head toward me.
“What did you just say?””
I repeated the words.
He looked at me for several seconds.
Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.
“Lily, I need you to answer something honestly.””
“Okay.””
“Did you see who sent your aunt that message?””
I nodded.
“I saw the words.””
“What words?””
I repeated them.
Thomas's face changed.
He took a deep breath, then dialed a number.
“Marcus? It's Thomas. I need you to listen carefully.””
He paused.
“No, I'm not calling about the funeral.””
Another pause.
“Daniel left something behind. Something Victoria doesn't want us to find.””
He glanced at the brass key in my hand.
“And I think I know where we need to look.””
I leaned forward.
“Where, Uncle Thomas?””
He ended the call.
May you like
Then he looked at me in the rearview mirror.
“At your father's house.””
