The ride back to Maplewood was tense, with the completely open road suddenly turning green and dim. The revelation of Eleanor Blackwood's letters and the key had brought them closer to the truth, but it also made the secret stronger. What had Eleanor hidden away? Who else was involved as well?
As they made their way into the town, Emma's mind was buzzing with questions. Lucas went easy on the peaceful roads and eventually stopped at a small, plain structure near the town's edge.
The kind of building that you could pass by multiple times without ever paying attention to was a dull location. As he got out of the car, Lucas said, "This is my office." "We'll be safeguarded here while we figure out our best game plan."
Emma observed the unobtrusive elements of the environment as she followed him inside. A work area that was overflowing with papers, a few file organizers, and a couch that had been used a lot was pushed up against one wall of the office. Behind the work area, a large portion of the space was taken up by a notice board with pictures and guides on it, connected by red string.
Emma was instructed to settle down by Lucas as he threw the pile of letters onto the work surface. He said, pointing to the board, "I've been dealing with this case for quite a while." Having said that, up until very recently, I was missing so many pieces.
"These letters might be the way to put everything together." Emma sat down and looked over the board with her eyes. There were images of the family graveyard, the Blackwood Chateau, and various Maplewood locales. Photos of people she didn't see were condescending nearby news patterns and composed by hand notes. "Who are these people?" She asked, pointing to a group of pictures near the board's edge.
As he joined her at the board, Lucas made sense of the phrase "individuals associated with the Blackwoods." "Partners, rivals, even two or three ideal adversaries. Some of them vanished at the same time as the Blackwoods, while others continued to go unnoticed after that.
Emma's look picked one photo explicitly, a grainy high-difference image of a tolerably matured man with a cruel verbalization. Who is this? Lucas followed her gaze, solidifying his appearance.
Richard Graves is that. He was an aggressive money manager who needed to take control of their domain and was one of the Blackwoods' greatest foes. "He was said to have contributed to their demise, but nothing was ever proven." Emma focused on the man's face and felt a chill.
"Do you think he is still alive?" Lucas responded, "Conceivably."
"He's been flying under the radar in the event that he is. However, he was the only one who felt the need to eliminate the Blackwoods as a threat.
Emma turned her attention back to the letters after tearing her eyes away from the picture. We really want to know what Eleanor was trying to protect. "We might get a few pieces of information from the letters." After making a gesture, Lucas cautiously loosened the strip once more, distributing the letters across the work surface.
The pages were yellowed with age, the ink obscured but simultaneously understandable. Each letter was dated, the earliest from 1946 and the latest from some time before the family's disappearance in 1952. As she read the principal letter, Emma felt her hands a little tingly.
June 14, 1946
Mary, my dear,
I stay in contact with you with the assumption that these words will not at any point ought to be examined, but I fear the time is inclining toward when reality will at this point not be safeguarded calmly. I have done everything in my power to protect our family from grave danger. However, the enemies of us work tirelessly, and I fear they won't stop until they have taken everything we value.
I can only trust you with this responsibility. If anything were to occur to me, you should make sure that the truth is not lost. The house contains archives that provide evidence of the plans Richard Graves and his partners made to kill us. They should never get into the wrong hands.
Mary, please promise me that you will keep our secrets safe. In case the most ridiculously dreadful should occur, I have left headings with Edith. She'll know exactly what to do.
With reverence and appreciation,
Eleanor
Emma's heart beat as she wrapped up examining the letter. She said, "This is all there is to it," pointing Lucas in the direction. "This is confirmation that Richard Graves was related to the Blackwoods' annihilation. Regardless, shouldn't something be said about the reports that Eleanor cited? "Where might they at any point be?"
His fixation caused Lucas to wrinkle his temple as he checked various letters. "She says they're hidden in the house, yet she gives no nuances. Additionally, she mentioned Edith, your grandmother. She probably knew something, assuming Eleanor trusted her with these exclusive insights.
Emma felt a hurt of mishap as she pondered her grandmother. Edith had always kept her relationship with the Blackwoods a secret, only sharing the essential details of her responsibilities.
In any case, it appeared at the moment that Edith had been more involved than anyone had thought. Emma said, her mind racing, "There should be something in my grandma's possessions." "Old letters, journals, anything that might give us more information."
Lucas signaled the plan. "It deserves consideration. But we have to be careful.
If someone understands we're gravitating toward the real world, they could endeavor to stop us. With the weight of the situation pressing down on her, Emma gulped hard. She had always thought of her grandmother as a calm, honest person who had continued to live a simple life in Maplewood. However, Edith seemed to be up to speed on something much more substantial and risky at the moment. Emma assuredly stated, "I'll go through my grandma's things."
"In any case, I want to go back to my parents' house. "She lived there after she resigned." Lucas appeared hesitant. "Is it genuine that you are sure? "It could very well be risky."
Emma made a firm gesture. "I have to. I will have to look for anything there that might be of use to us if it is there." Realizing there was no way to get her out of it, Lucas murmured. "Okay.
Nevertheless, I will be traveling with you. We are not willing to take any chances. Emma agreed, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for his assistance.
Despite the dangers, she knew they had to keep digging regardless of what they might discover. They were getting closer with each step, and the situation's reality was already known. Although the ride to Emma's parents' house was predictable, the car's unease was overwhelming.
Emma couldn't avoid the potential chance to feel a hunch as they moved toward the conspicuous old house where she had grown up. She had not spent any significant time there in a very long time, and the place now felt almost foreign to her.
The house stayed close to the completion of a serene street: a modest two-story home with a gigantic doorway deck and a helpfully kept garden. Despite the fact that it appeared tranquil and inviting, Emma couldn't shake the feeling that they were entering a trap.
Emma drove inside after they made a stop in the carport. Her parents had traveled for the middle of the year, so the house was empty. As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by a stunning lack of noise and the faint scent of aged wood and lavender.
Emma pointed Lucas in the direction of the storage room steps, "Along these lines." "This is where a lot of my grandmother's things are saved." The space was dusty and restricted, stacked up with old decorations and boxes, and neglected to recall memories.
Emma felt a hurt of thoughtfulness as she looked around, remembering all of the times she had advertised here as a youth and exploring the ignored corners of her family's lineage.
She moved to a corner where there were a few boxes stacked, each with the name of her grandmother on it. She was able to figure out the containers at her own pace because Lucas stayed back.
After carefully opening the first box, Emma discovered a collection of old letters, tokens, and photo albums. She ended up grinning at the memories they brought back as she went through them. Regardless, she immediately put those feelings to one side and concentrated on the task at hand. She only discovered something unexpected when she opened the third box.
A small cowhide-bound diary was hidden beneath a stack of old letters. The handwriting was precise and delicate, the pages were worn and yellowed from age. As she opened the diary and looked at the first page, Emma felt her hands shake. It was written in 1946, the same year that Eleanor wrote her most enduring letter.
March 2, 1946
Today, Eleanor gradually placed her faith in me. She is so terrified and stressed out for her loved ones. The risks from Richard Graves and his accomplices have grown more serious, and I fear that they will endure persistently to decimate the Blackwoods. In order to preserve the situation as it develops, Eleanor has asked that I keep track of everything. She accepts that reality ought to be known someday.
I've agreed to it, but it makes me afraid. The commitment is enormous, but I can't sell out Eleanor. I owe her my love because she has been a friend of mine for a long time. I ask that this diary serve as evidence of the Blackwoods' treachery in the event that the most obvious evil should occur.
As Emma read her grandmother's words, she lost her breath. Edith knew everything there was to know about the plot against the Blackwoods. All things considered, she had meticulously documented the family's demise as a quiet observer. Emma said.
"This is all there is to it," making her voice shake with emotion. "My grandmother knew everything. "She wrote everything down."
Lucas leaned in and looked over her shoulder. "This diary may be the missing component. We might finally get to the truth if we can demonstrate that Richard Graves was responsible for the Blackwoods' demise.
As she turned the pages, Emma made a gesture and shed a few tears. The Blackwoods' final years were documented in detail in the diary, detailing the dangers, disloyalty, and fear that had gripped the family as they realized the walls were closing in. Emma's heart sank when she reached the final passage.
The journal abruptly completed in the mid-year of 1952, not well before the Blackwoods' evaporation. The last couple of pages were visible, as if her grandmother had abruptly stopped writing. "Why did she stop?" With an unhappy tone in her voice, Emma pondered loudly.
Lucas frowned, his cerebrum hustling. "Probably something took place." She might have had to stop, or she might have realized that it was too dangerous to continue."
Emma's eyes went through the last section once more, looking for any clues that might help explain the sudden end. In any case, there was nothing; all that was there was a vague promise to keep the family's secrets safe and a reference to a final gathering with Eleanor. As she closed the diary, Emma stated, "We're missing something."
"More must be present." Lucas showed that he understood. "The diary and the letters are significant, but they are only relevant to the puzzle. We actually need to locate the archives that Eleanor mentioned, which are hidden in the chateau. That key might be the way to get to them.
Emma was motivated to get moving again. The answers they were looking for were so close to each other, but still hardly possible. She added, her voice reassuring, "We want to return to the manor." "We really want to find those records and learn the truth." After a brief pause, Lucas made a gesture at that point.
"Okay. However, we ought to keep an eye out. They won't let us do this easily if Graves or anyone associated with him is still nearby. Emma got ready as she felt the weight of her grandmother's wealth pressing down on her. She said, "I'm prepared," but her voice slightly faltered. "I will finish what she started, whatever it takes," I said.