Daniel felt cold.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Before Daniel could answer, the bakery lights went out.
Both men froze.
The building fell silent.
Caleb stood.
“Power outage?”
Daniel shook his head.
“The neighboring stores still have electricity.”
A sound came from the kitchen.
A soft metallic click.
Daniel whispered:
“Someone's inside.”
Caleb reached for his phone.
“No signal.”
Daniel grabbed a wooden baseball bat from behind the counter.
They moved toward the kitchen.
Another sound.
A drawer opening.
Then footsteps.
Slow.
Caleb whispered:
“Call the police.”
“I can't.”
The footsteps stopped.
Suddenly, a man appeared in the doorway.
Daniel raised the bat.
The man stopped.
It was Martin.
“Don't,” Martin said.
Daniel lowered the bat slightly.
“What are you doing here?”
Martin looked exhausted.
“I came to warn you.”
“About what?”
“Leave the ledger.”
Caleb stepped forward.
“No.”
Martin closed his eyes.
“Then you're both in danger.”
“From Holloway?”
“Holloway is dead.”
“Then who?”
Martin looked directly at Caleb.
“His son.”
Caleb stared.
“Richard Holloway had a son?”
“Yes.”
“What's his name?”
Martin hesitated.
Then said:
“Jonathan Holloway.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Where is he?”
Martin looked toward the dark window.
“Everywhere.”
Caleb frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“He owns the company that now controls half the property in this neighborhood.”
Daniel suddenly understood.
The abandoned buildings.
The empty stores.
The pressure on local businesses.
The rising rents.
“He's buying everything.”
Martin nodded.
“And this bakery is the last property he needs.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because your father refused to sell it.”
“Why?”
“Because the basement contains something Jonathan has been searching for.”
The ledger.
Caleb looked at it.
Martin nodded.
“And now he knows you've found it.”
A crash came from the front window.
Glass exploded across the floor.
Daniel grabbed Caleb.
“Down!”
A stone rolled across the tiles.
Tied around it was a piece of paper.
Caleb picked it up.
Three words were written in black ink.
GIVE IT BACK.
Chapter 9
The Last Page
The police arrived twenty minutes later.
They found no one.
No fingerprints.
No weapon.
No useful evidence.
Only broken glass.
Daniel stood behind the counter while an officer took photographs.
Caleb remained silent.
Martin had disappeared before the police arrived.
But his warning remained.
Jonathan Holloway knew.
And he wanted the ledger.
After the officers left, Daniel locked every door.
He pulled the blinds down.
Then he looked at Caleb.
“We can't stay here.”
Caleb nodded.
“Agreed.”
“Where can we go?”
“My hotel.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“If someone is watching me, they'll follow you.”
Caleb looked around.
“They already know where I am.”
Daniel sighed.
“What do we do with the ledger?”
Caleb held it tightly.
“We find the missing page.”
“How?”
“Martin.”
“He won't answer.”
“He will.”
“You sound confident.”
“My mother trusted him.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
Caleb took out his phone.
He called a number.
A few seconds later, someone answered.
“Hello?”
“It's Caleb Reed.”
Silence.
Then:
“Who gave you this number?”
“Martin.”
Another silence.
“Where are you?”
“Mercer's Bakery.”
The voice became tense.
“You need to leave.”
“We need information.”
“I can't help you.”
“You can.”
“Caleb—”
“Your name is Eleanor Vale.”
Daniel looked at him.
The caller was Martin's daughter.
Caleb continued.
“My mother mentioned you in her letters.”
Silence.
Then the woman said:
“Come to the old train station.”
“When?”
“Midnight.”
The call ended.
Daniel stared.
“Martin has a daughter?”
“Apparently.”
“Why didn't he tell us?”
“Maybe because she knows more than he does.”
At midnight, Daniel and Caleb arrived at the abandoned train station.
The place had been closed for years.
The platform lights flickered.
A woman stood near the old ticket office.
She was in her early forties.
Dark hair.
Gray coat.
Tired eyes.
“You're Caleb.”
“Yes.”
She looked at Daniel.
“You're Samuel's son.”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“My father told me about you.”
“What did he say?”
“That your father was the only man who ever believed he could become better.”
Daniel looked away.
“Why did you ask us to come here?”
Eleanor took an envelope from her bag.
“Because my father is too afraid to tell you.”
“Tell us what?”
She handed it to Caleb.
Inside was a photograph.
Teresa.
Samuel.