Missing Pieces

13

I kept the door to Ezra's study open behind me, so I'd easily be able to hear if someone was home. I wasn't as concerned about Jude anymore as I was about the other two.

My heart felt like it was racing a million miles a minute as I stepped inside, my eyes scanning every inch of the room. Files and binders stuck out of the shelves, and I found myself lost as to where I needed to start looking.

I didn't even know what I was looking for.

I gulped hard and trekked towards his desk, mindlessly scanning the papers scattered across the surface. None of them seemed important, so I turned my attention to the shelves. Knowing I had little time to waste, I reached for a file and pulled it out.

I did this over and over again—skimming over the hundreds of words and numbers and phrases I encountered. I found bills, insurance, addresses, phone numbers—I found everything except something useful.

Huffing, I returned another file. Glancing at the clock, I realized that close to half an hour had passed and all my efforts had been hopeless so far.

Maybe Kieran was wrong. Maybe there wasn't anything to be found in the first place. Maybe I was paranoid about everything and everyone for no reason.

But it was only when I came the closest to giving up did I find it.

Something different.

The hardwood plank rattled under my foot as I stepped on it. My gaze immediately dropped to the ground, my eyes scanning the dark floor.

Frowning, I lifted my foot before I stepped on the same spot again. It shook again and my breath caught. Leaning down, I ran my hands over the plank, looking for the edge.

My fingers caught it. Holding my breath, I lifted it up with my nails to reveal what was in the small compartment underneath.

It was a small box. Wasting no time, I reached for it and took it out. It wasn't locked, so I pried it open.

The first item I reached for was what stood out the most—a silver chain with a locket attached to it. It was a little dusty, but I managed to open it.

I sucked in an sharp breath as I read the name engraved into the locket.

Briar R.A.

Briar. It was her again. This girl who my brothers always brought up, yet never told me who she was.

With trembling hands, I set the necklace down and reached for the next item—a small notebook.

I frowned as I flipped through it, noticing that all the pages were blank. I was just about to close it and place it back in the box when a piece of paper fell out.

The blood drained from my face as I recognized the writing on it.

Rose Hallman—missing since...

It was the missing person's poster—the same one that woman had shown me at the diner. But not just any woman. She'd turned out to be my nurse.

My eyes dropped to the picture of the girl on the page, terror manifesting itself as a lump in my throat. My hands trembled so much I could barely make out what I was seeing.

What the hell was this?

I realized I was hyperventilating as I stood up on shaky knees, my breaths coming out in unsteady rasps.

I didn't understand. Who was this girl? Who was Briar? And why did Ezra have this locked up in here? Questions on top of questions rushed through my mind, turning my thoughts into shambles as I struggled to breathe.