Chapter 5 - The Property Records
"What about Arthur's property records?" I asked, keeping my voice low as I glanced back through the screen door to ensure Clara was still occupied inside.
Marcus slid the folded manila folder across the wooden porch railing toward me, his expression grim and unyielding. "The house we’re standing in right now, Ethan? It was never bought by Clara, and it was never deeded to Arthur when he retired from the bank."
I picked up the folder, my fingers trembling slightly as I pulled out the crisp, official municipal documents printed on heavy white paper. "That's impossible. Arthur handed us the keys the day we got married. He said it was a wedding gift from his late brother's estate."
"That's what he told you, yeah," Marcus replied, leaning in closer. "The deed has been under a completely different name for the last twelve years—a woman named Sarah Miller. And according to the county clerk, Sarah Miller hasn't been seen or heard from since 2011."
My mind spun as I stared at the bold typed name on the parchment, trying to anchor myself to the reality of the sunny afternoon. "Sarah Miller? Clara has never mentioned anyone by that name in all the years we've been together. Who is she to Arthur?"
"That's the part that got the missing persons division interested when I ran the routine check you requested," Marcus said quietly. "Sarah Miller was Arthur’s second wife, and Clara’s stepmother. She vanished right around the time Clara turned eighteen, and the case was quietly closed due to a lack of cooperating witnesses."
A cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck as I remembered the hidden compartment in the linen closet and Clara's chilling demeanor. "Marcus... are you telling me there's a chance a murder investigation is tied to the roof over my children's heads?"
"I'm telling you that Arthur and Clara didn't just inherit this house—they legally seized it the day Sarah disappeared," Marcus said, tapping the folder. "And if you want to dig deeper, you need to find out what happened to Sarah's personal belongings, because they were never logged into police evidence."
Before I could process the staggering weight of his words, the front door clicked open behind us, causing both of us to jump. Clara stood in the doorway, holding Marcus's car keys in her hand with a serene, terrifyingly calm smile on her face.
May you like
"Here are your keys, Marcus. I hope you and the family had a wonderful time celebrating with us today," Clara said, her eyes shifting immediately from Marcus to me with razor-sharp intensity.
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