Chapter 6 - Ashes of the Past
The silence that followed Arthur’s words was deafening, heavier even than the shock of the ruined dress. The boutique seemed to shrink, the expensive perfumes turning cloying and foul in the suddenly stifling air. Their mother gripped the edge of a nearby display table, her knuckles turning bone-white.
"An electrical fault," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes darting frantically between Arthur and the cream-colored paper in his hand. "Arthur, we buried the past a decade ago. We rebuilt our lives in this city. Who could possibly—"
"Read it, Dad," Maya said, stepping fully out of the fitting room, the midnight-blue gown trailing behind her like liquid shadow. The fear in her mother's face pierced through her own excitement, making the expensive dress feel like lead. "What does the note actually say?"
Arthur cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the page one more time as if hoping the words would miraculously change. "It says: The wires didn't spark from the wall. They were cut with shears. And at the bottom, there’s an address on the north side of town—the exact plot where the old house burned to the ground."
Mina swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she tried to regain her usual defensive bravado. "That's ridiculous. I was only three years old when that happened. Why are we even paying attention to some sick prank?"
"Because," Arthur said slowly, turning his gaze toward Mina with a look that made her flinch, "the handwriting on this note isn't a stranger's. I recognize every single letter. It belongs to your grandfather's old attorney, the man who disappeared the night of the fire with the missing insurance deed."
Marcus stepped inside, locking the heavy front glass door behind him. "Arthur, if someone is digging up the estate files, you need to call the authorities immediately. You can't handle whatever this is alone."
"The police won't touch it without proof," their mother interjected, her voice rising in panic. "You know how the department is down there. If they reopen that investigation, they'll look at us first. They always look at the surviving family."
Maya looked down at the sparkling crystals on her dress, a sickening realization washing over her. "Is that why we moved here? Is that why we never talk about my grandfather?"
"Maya, hush," her mother snapped, though her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.
"No, Mom, I want to know," Maya insisted, taking a step forward. "Mina ruined my dress tonight, and now a note about a fire from twelve years ago magically appears on the doorstep? Nothing here is a coincidence. Everything is connected."
May you like
Before anyone could answer, the overhead lights in the boutique flickered violently once, twice, and then plunged the entire building into absolute darkness, leaving only the pale glow of the streetlights outside filtering through the frosted glass.
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