Chapter 5: The Empty Bag
Clara walked back up the shoveled stone steps of the porch with Vance flanking her right side and Richard walking closely behind. The festive wreath on the front door swung slightly in the cold wind, its red velvet bow looking like a stain against the dark wood. The heavy door unlocked with a quiet click, and they stepped back into the suffocating warmth of the hallway. The scent of pine and roasted ham hung thick in the air, but the festive cheer had completely evaporated. The hallway was empty; the dining room doors were pulled halfway shut, though faint murmurs could be heard filtering through the crack.
Clara walked straight to the console table where she had dropped the white gift bag earlier. She stopped dead in her tracks.
The white gift bag was still there, sitting upright on the hardwood floor with its crimson tissue paper spilling out. But as Clara knelt and peered inside, her breath hitched. The vintage mohair teddy bear was still at the bottom, its glass eyes staring blankly. But the spiral-bound notebook was gone.
“What’s the matter?” Richard asked sharply, stepping up behind her and looking down into the bag. His brow furrowed instantly as he saw the empty space where the diary should have rested. “Where is it?”
Clara stood up slowly, her mind racing. “It was right here. I dropped it on the floor when Mom threatened my tuition. I didn't touch it again.”
Vance pushed past Richard, dropping to one knee to lift the teddy bear out of the bag by its ear. He shook the bag upside down. Nothing fell out except a few stray pieces of red tissue paper. Vance’s face darkened instantly, his professional composure cracking into genuine alarm. He stood up, towering over Richard.
“You said it was secured,” Vance growled, his voice dropping an octave. “You said she brought it inside and left it in this exact bag.”
“She did!” Richard insisted, turning his fury back toward Clara. He grabbed her by the upper arm, his fingers digging painfully into her green parka jacket. “Who did you give it to? Did you pass it off to Maya? Did you text someone while you were walking to your car?”
“Let go of me!” Clara yelled, wrenching her arm free from his grip and stumbling back against the wall. “I didn't give it to anyone! I didn't text anyone! My phone has been in my pocket the whole time!”
At that moment, the dining room door slid completely open. Maya stood in the doorway, holding a white linen napkin in one hand, her face pale and drawn. Behind her, Aunt Eleanor and young Lily sat frozen at the table, while Margaret emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of empty water glasses.
“What is going on out here?” Margaret demanded, her eyes darting between Richard, Vance, and Clara. “Why are you all shouting in the entryway?”
“The notebook is gone, Margaret,” Richard said, his voice laced with panic for the first time. “Someone took it out of the gift bag while we were outside.”
Margaret dropped the tray of water glasses. The glassware shattered against the hardwood floor with a deafening crash, shards of crystal scattering across the hallway like diamonds. She stared at Richard, her mouth slightly open in horror.
“What do you mean, it’s gone?” Margaret whispered, her composure completely shattering. “Only family was in this house.”
May you like
Maya stepped forward into the hallway, her dark eyes looking nervously between her parents and Clara. She swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she clutched the linen napkin tighter.
“I took it,” Maya said softly, the confession hanging heavy and sharp in the shattered silence of the room.
