Made some of the finest furniture in town. You knew him well? Ethan asked. A shadow crossed Martha's face. I was the Blackwell's housekeeper for 20 years.
Started working for Thomas's parents when I was just a girl. Stayed on after Thomas inherited the place. She returned the key. He was a good man no matter what others said after he disappeared. Honest to a fault.
Then why was he accused of embezzlement? Noah asked. Martha's lips tightened. Some men can't accept that their failures are their own doing. They need someone else to blame.
She busied herself with arranging groceries. William Grant made accusations because it was easier than admitting his own mismanagement. While Noah helped Martha organized the kitchen, Ethan retreated to the library to examine the key more carefully. Under the bright light of a work lamp, he noticed something he'd missed before. Tiny numbers etched alongside some of the symbols.
They were faint, requiring a magnifying glass to read clearly, but they appeared to be coordinates or measurements of some kind. The afternoon sun cast the ornate banister newle post into sharp relief, highlighting the compass rose carving that matched one of the key symbols. Acting on instinct, Ethan examined the post more closely. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the wood shaped by hands that understood both beauty and function. Running his fingers along the carving, he felt a slight depression in the center, almost imperceptible unless you were looking for it.
"Noah," he called. "Bring me my small pocketk knife. " With surgical precision, Ethan inserted the knife tip into the depression and applied gentle pressure. Something clicked inside the new post and a small panel slid open, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a folded piece of parchment, yellowed with age. Noah's eyes widened.
A secret message. Ethan carefully unfolded the parchment to reveal what appeared to be a partial floor plan of the mansion, but with areas marked that didn't correspond to any rooms they had seen. The symbols from the key were scattered throughout the drawing, connected by dotted lines that suggested a path through the house. At the bottom, in spidery handwriting, someone had written, "For the rightful heir, when the time comes to claim what was lost. " Dad, it's a treasure map, Noah could barely contain his excitement. Maybe, Ethan said cautiously.
Or it could be something else entirely. Either way, Thomas Blackwell went to a lot of trouble to create this trail of clues. The question is why. As they studied the map, Martha appeared in the doorway, her expression unreadable as she observed the parchment in Ethan's hands. "Found another piece of the puzzle, I see," she said quietly.
"You knew about this? " Ethan asked. Martha sighed and sat down heavily in a nearby chair. I knew Thomas left clues throughout the house. He told me he was creating a trail that only the right person could follow. She looked at Ethan intently.