Chapter 10
Seated at the quiet conference table, Toby finished his small glass of water and looked up across the table at Eleanor, then sideways toward Jax, who was walking over with the printed dispatch report in hand. The wooden lockbox sat squarely in the center of the table, looking entirely out of place among the ballpoint pens and case files. "Toby," Jax said gently, pulling out a metal folding chair and sitting down beside the boy. "We talked to dispatch, and we found your grandfather Arthur. He’s up in Maine, and he’s been looking everywhere for you." Toby’s hazel eyes widened, a brilliant flash of hope illuminating his pale face. "Grandpa Artie? Is he really coming?" he asked, his voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and profound joy. "We’re going to make sure you talk to him on the phone very soon," Jax promised with a reassuring smile.
"Can we open the box now, officer?" Toby asked, his small fingers lightly brushing the tarnished brass keyhole. "Your grandpa mentioned there are legal papers inside that prove who owns your family's home and boatyard. Do you happen to know where the key is?" Toby reached into the deep pocket of his dark jacket and pulled out a worn leather cord with a small, iron key dangling from the end. He had worn it around his neck under his shirt all morning, completely hidden beneath the layers of tape and clothing. With trembling fingers, he slipped the cord over his head and handed the key to Jax. The officer accepted the small metal piece, aligned it with the intricate keyhole on the cedar box, and gave it a gentle half-turn. With a soft, satisfying click, the brass latch released.
Jax lifted the lid of the wooden lockbox, revealing a neatly stacked assortment of weathered documents, a thick gold wedding band, and a series of hand-drawn sketches of wooden schooners signed by Toby’s late father. Eleanor leaned in gently, sorting through the legal titles, birth certificates, and adoption papers that legally established Toby as the sole heir to his family’s estate—the very documents Clara had tried to steal and leverage for cash in a desperate bid to reinvent herself across the country. Jax carefully set the papers back inside and closed the lid, locking it securely once more. "These are very important, Toby. They prove everything belongs right where it should," Jax said softly. Eleanor placed a warm hand over the boy's hand. "Your grandfather is going to be so proud of how brave you were today."
