Chapter 4 - A Father’s Ultimatum
The black sedan idled at the curb, its low engine rumble cutting through the quiet afternoon. Leo looked down at Sam's hand gripping his arm, then back up at the unblinking gaze of his father through the tinted passenger window. The silence between the two boys stretched, heavy with unspoken accusations and the sudden realization that their childhoods had permanently ended somewhere beneath the floorboards of that abandoned mill.
"I have to go, Sam," Leo said quietly, prying Sam’s fingers loose with a gentle yet firm motion. "If I run now, we never find out the truth."
"You're walking right into the trap," Sam hissed, stepping back as Leo began to walk toward the car. "Check your jacket pocket, Leo. Just check it."
Confused, Leo paused halfway across the grass. He slid his hand into the pocket of his gray t-shirt and felt something metallic and cold. Pulling it out, his breath caught in his throat. It was a second silver key, an exact duplicate of the one Sam was holding.
Leo whipped his head around to face Sam, but Sam was already turning away, jogging briskly toward the tree line near the park pavilion without looking back.
Leo opened the car door and slid into the leather passenger seat. The interior smelled faintly of rain and expensive cologne. His father didn't look at him immediately; he kept his eyes on the rearview mirror as he pulled away from the curb, merging smoothly into the afternoon traffic.
"You shouldn't have gone to the park, Leo," his father said evenly, his voice devoid of paternal warmth. "We agreed you would stay at the house until I sorted this out."
"Sam found the key, Dad," Leo said, holding up the duplicate and placing it on the center console between them. "And Mr. Henderson told us about the mayor. He said the ledger is the reason our families are falling apart."
His father slammed on the brakes at a red light, turning his head slowly to stare at his son. The look in his eyes wasn't anger; it was pure, unadulterated terror.
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"Mr. Henderson doesn't know what he's talking about," his father said through gritted teeth. "And that key doesn't open a box, Leo. It opens the safety deposit box at the rail station. And inside it is the confession your uncle signed before he vanished."
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