That afternoon, he visited the Brooks apartment. While Hannah remained at the hospital, using a spare key Hannah had once trusted him with for emergencies, he entered. The apartment was quiet. Marcus moved carefully. searching drawers, cabinets, shelves, nothing. Then his attention landed on the closet.
And inside the closet sat an old wooden box, the exact box Rose had protected for decades. Marcus froze. Instinct told him he had found what he was looking for. Slowly, he reached toward it. But before he could open it, a voice behind him spoke. What are you doing? Marcus spun around. Standing in the doorway was the apartment’s elderly neighbor, Mrs.
Parker. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. For several ten seconds, nobody spoke. Then Marcus forced a smile. I’m helping Hannah. The lie sounded smooth, but something in Mrs. Parker’s expression suggested she wasn’t convinced. And for the first time, Marcus realized someone might have just witnessed something he couldn’t explain.
