Chapter 4 - The Unexpected Visitor
Before I could process the terrifying scale of what I had uncovered, a sharp, authoritative knock echoed through the quiet house.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I froze, the phone slipping from my hand and landing softly on the carpet. My blood turned to ice. Was it Miguel? Had he forgotten something? Had he come back early to check on his hidden vault?
I crept out of the bedroom, tiptoeing down the hallway toward the front door. The knocking came again, louder this time, accompanied by the muffled sound of a woman’s voice calling out.
“Hello? Is anyone home? Please, I know someone is inside!”
I peered through the peephole.
Standing on our front porch was a young woman with shoulder-length dark hair, her face pale, eyes red-rimmed and hollowed out from lack of sleep. She was clutching a worn leather folder to her chest like a shield. Even through the distorted lens, I could recognize her features from the missing person flyers I had seen online months ago.
It was Clara Vance. Elena’s younger sister.
Without thinking, I unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
Clara stumbled back slightly, blinking in surprise. She looked at me, her eyes darting over my disheveled appearance, the tension in my posture, and the fear etched across my face.
“Are you... are you Ana?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes,” I whispered, my throat dry. “How do you know my name?”
Clara stepped closer, tears instantly spilling over her lower eyelids. “I’ve been looking for you for weeks. The police wouldn't listen to me, but I tracked my sister’s last cell phone ping. It led right to this neighborhood. And... and your husband, Miguel, was the last person my sister ever spoke to.”
May you like
I stood there in the doorway, the morning sunlight beating down on the Phoenix pavement, feeling like the ground beneath my feet had completely vanished.
“Come inside,” I said quietly, stepping aside and opening the door wide. “You need to see what I just found in my bedroom.”
