The attic steps squeaked under the weight of his boots.
Dust particles floated in the bright sunlight near the window.
Mark pushed open the dusty door to the upper room.
The air up here was thick and smelled of cedar.
Old furniture sat covered under white cloth covers around him.
In the far corner sat an old iron trunk.
The heavy lock on the front had been snapped off.
Mark knelt on the wooden floorboards next to the trunk.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest while he looked.
Inside lay several items that belonged to Clara long ago.
There was a bright silver hairbrush he remembered very well.
There were several notebooks filled with her everyday journal notes.
He pulled out the top notebook and flipped it open.
The last entry was dated five years ago today exactly.
The ink was smudged as if dropped in real tears.
The note said she was scared of Mark's stepmother.
Mark felt a wave of anger wash over his mind.
His stepmother Evelyn had controlled the family estate for years.
She had handled all the funeral arrangements after the crash.
She had insisted on a closed casket service back then.
She said the car accident had been far too violent.
Mark had trusted her completely during his deepest grief period.
He grabbed the entire stack of journal entries right away.
He walked quickly down the narrow wooden attic stairs again.
Sarah was standing near the kitchen entrance waiting for him.
Mark: Call my divorce lawyer immediately right now!
Maid: Sir, your lawyer handles real estate matters too.
Mark: I need him to check Clara's death certificate!
Sarah nodded quickly and ran toward the landline telephone.
Lily looked up at Mark with big curious eyes today.
Girl: Is Clara coming home for dinner today?
Mark knelt down so he was level with the child.
Mark: I need to find out the truth first.
He gave Lily a tight hug before standing back up.
He pulled his smartphone from his inner jacket pocket fast.
He dialed the number to his stepmother's grand office.
The phone rang three times before a smooth voice answered.
Evelyn: Hello Mark, are you coming to the boardroom?
Mark: We need to talk about Clara right now!
The line went completely quiet for several long seconds then.
Mark could hear his stepmother taking a slow breath.
Evelyn: Why bring up the past on today of all days?
Mark: Because I found her missing journal in the attic!
Evelyn hung up the phone without saying another word back.
Mark stared at his glowing screen in total disbelief today.
He knew he had to visit the old family estate.