Chapter 5 - The Clockmaker’s Second Compartment

Harold walked toward the grandfather clock.

Everyone watched.

He opened the first hidden panel.

Empty now.

Then reached higher.

Pressed something behind the carved oak.

A second panel opened.

Isabella’s grandfather stood.

Too quickly.

Damian noticed.

Harold removed a metal box.

Small.

Locked.

Damian looked at him.

“What is that?”

“Your mother never knew about this compartment.”

Lucia had come downstairs.

She stared.

“I didn’t.”

Harold nodded.

“Your father did.”

Damian froze.

“My father used the clock too.”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“After Lucia disappeared.”

Harold placed the box on the table.

A tiny key was taped underneath.

He opened it.

Inside:

Three cassette tapes.

A passport.

A handwritten confession.

And one photograph.

Damian picked up the photograph.

His father.

Marco Moretti.

Standing beside Isabella’s grandfather.

And Damian’s grandfather.

All three younger.

All three holding glasses.

Behind them:

A warehouse.

Damian frowned.

“What is this?”

Harold answered:

“The night before Lucia disappeared.”

Damian looked at his mother.

She went pale.

“What?”

Harold handed Damian the confession.

Marco’s handwriting.

I HELPED THEM MOVE MONEY.

I HELPED THEM THREATEN PEOPLE.

BUT I DID NOT ORDER THE FIRE.

Damian stopped.

“What fire?”

Lucia covered her mouth.

Isabella’s grandfather sat back down.

Damian saw it.

“What fire?”

Harold looked at the old man.

Then at Damian.

“The Moretti warehouse fire.”

Damian frowned.

“That happened twenty-three years ago.”

Harold nodded.

“The same week your mother disappeared.”

Damian stared.

“People died.”

“Four.”

Silence.

Damian looked at Lucia.

“You knew?”

She shook her head.

“No.”

Harold continued.

“The official report called it electrical.”

Damian looked at the confession.

His father had written:

VOSS STARTED IT.

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Damian turned toward Isabella’s grandfather.

The old man’s face had gone white.