tter w

ry, it smelled faintly of cedar and time. Isabella found it by accident

he locked storage behind the wine cellar. Celeste had claimed that the room held nothing

eft anything he wa

d drawer in the lowest cabinet, was a stack of old records...

a – Only i

eart

hioned kind her father used for private communications. She held

mbled slightl

e that

he letter and

-

arest I

longer beside you-and for that, I a

t I've built...

trusted. I cannot say all in writing-it is no longer safe. But I ask

. Even those closest... even those who s

it. Follow the entries. And whatever happens, do not sign

But I fear one of you has alr

eful,

staying long enough to

D

-

g. The words hit her like a slow, rolling wave-first con

r father had

n't named names-

iddle of a chessb

who share yo

t of the sentence to kn

le

documents had been buried? What agreements had b

ly was in that

ounded be

fr

eone wa

g of her coat, and closed the cabinet carefully. She stepped out of the

llway, Damien was waiting, leaning a

ppeared,"

," she replied, ke

sharpened

e envelope. "Read

nto his coat w

in floor, their footsteps qui

ed?" Damien asked softl

er the stairs-her father, smiling faintly in oil paint, his hand on Celeste

nk," she sai

r. "Then what do

him, eyes shar

the Indigo led

elp me bury the person