Chapter 4: The Man with the Snake Ring
The scream echoed through the mansion.
Sophie grabbed Issa so quickly that the little girl almost dropped her doll.
"That's him!"
Her tiny finger pointed toward the security monitor.
Everyone looked.
The man stood beneath the streetlight across the road, dressed in a long black coat despite the summer rain.
His face was partly hidden beneath the brim of a dark hat.
But his right hand remained visible.
On his finger...
A silver snake ring wrapped tightly around his knuckle.
Exactly as Sophie had described.
Richard instinctively locked the front door.
Then another.
Then activated the estate's full security system.
Heavy steel bolts slid silently into place behind the massive oak doors.
Emily stared at the monitor.
"Should I call the police?"
Owen didn't answer immediately.
His eyes never left the screen.
The man wasn't trying to enter.
He wasn't hiding.
He simply stood there...
Watching.
Watching the mansion.
Watching the children.
Almost as if he wanted them to know he had found them.
Issa buried her face against Owen's jacket.
"He found us..."
Owen gently placed a hand on her head.
"No."
His voice remained calm.
"He found me."
Emily looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Owen continued watching the screen.
"If he wanted the girls..."
"...he could have taken them while they were sleeping on the street."
Richard nodded.
"He waited."
Emily frowned.
"So why now?"
Owen finally answered.
"Because now he knows they aren't alone."
Outside...
The mysterious man slowly raised his head toward one of the mansion's security cameras.
Then...
He smiled.
Not a large smile.
Just enough to make everyone inside uncomfortable.
He knew they were watching.
Sophie whispered,
"Mommy said never look into his eyes."
Emily immediately looked down at Sophie.
"Why?"
"He smiles first."
"Then people disappear."
A cold silence settled over the room.
Richard quietly spoke.
"I don't like this."
Neither did Owen.
The man slowly reached into his coat.
Richard immediately stepped in front of the girls.
Emily grabbed her phone.
Owen remained perfectly still.
The man removed...
A white envelope.
He walked calmly toward the mansion's front gate.
Placed the envelope inside the mailbox.
Then turned around.
No hurry.
No fear.
He climbed back into the SUV.
Seconds later...
The vehicle disappeared into the rain.
Nobody moved.
Richard finally spoke.
"I'll get it."
Owen stopped him.
"No."
"I'll go."
Emily looked shocked.
"Absolutely not."
"He could still be nearby."
Owen nodded.
"I know."
"But if he wanted to hurt someone..."
"...he had plenty of opportunities."
Richard reluctantly accompanied him.
The two men stepped outside beneath large umbrellas.
Rain soaked the stone driveway.
The mailbox stood only twenty yards away.
Inside...
One envelope.
No stamp.
No address.
Only one word.
OWEN
Back inside, everyone gathered around the dining table.
Owen carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of expensive cream-colored paper.
Written in black ink.
Only three sentences.
You already have something that belongs to us.
Return the key before another family gets hurt.
You have exactly seventy-two hours.
Nothing else.
No signature.
No fingerprints.
Nothing.
Emily looked horrified.
"I'm calling the police."
Richard nodded.
"This is a direct threat."
Owen folded the paper.
"No."
Emily stared at him.
"What?"
"They want us afraid."
"They expect panic."
Emily crossed her arms.
"And you're not afraid?"
Owen smiled faintly.
"I'm very afraid."
He looked toward the four sisters.
"But not for myself."
Just then...
Issa quietly tugged on Owen's sleeve.
"Mister Owen..."
He knelt beside her.
"What is it?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered,
"I remember something."
Everyone turned.
"What do you remember?"
Issa looked down at her doll.
"The man came to our house twice."
Sophie looked surprised.
"I only remember once."
Issa slowly nodded.
"You were sleeping."
Emily immediately opened her notebook again.
"What happened the second time?"
Issa closed her eyes.
Trying to remember.
"It was after Daddy hid the blue box."
"What did the man say?"
"He was yelling."
"And Daddy said..."
She frowned.
Trying harder.
"He said..."
"...'You'll never find the vault without the other key.'"
The room froze.
Owen looked at the letter again.
The truth isn't inside the box...
The key is.
Another key.
Richard slowly spoke.
"So..."
"The blue box contains a key."
Issa shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
"My daddy already took the key out."
Emily blinked.
"What?"
"He hid it somewhere else."
Owen leaned closer.
"Do you know where?"
Issa looked uncertain.
"I think..."
"...Mommy put it inside..."
She frowned.
"No..."
"Wait..."
Suddenly her eyes widened.
"The music."
"The music?"
"The piano!"
Sophie gasped.
"The old piano!"
Bella nodded excitedly.
"In our apartment!"
"The one Daddy never let anyone touch."
Emily looked toward Owen.
"The apartment was destroyed in the fire."
Sophie shook her head.
"No."
"The piano was downstairs."
"In the music room."
"It didn't burn."
Richard looked surprised.
"How do you know?"
"Daddy took us back once."
"After the fire."
Everyone stared.
Emily's voice became serious.
"He took you back?"
Sophie nodded.
"Before he died."
The room became silent.
Then Owen realized what she had said.
His heartbeat stopped.
He looked directly at Sophie.
"What did you just say?"
Sophie frowned.
"My daddy."
"You said..."
"...before he died."
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Owen's voice dropped to barely a whisper.
"Sophie..."
"The report says your father died in the fire."
Sophie stared at him.
Then quietly said the one sentence that changed everything.
"No."
"He didn't."
"He came back the next morning."
Richard's face drained of color.
Emily lowered her notebook.
Owen couldn't speak.
Sophie continued.
"He hugged us."
"He kissed Mommy."
"Then he left again."
"We never saw him after that."
Nobody in the room moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because if Sophie was telling the truth...
Then the official investigation had been wrong from the beginning.
Or someone had lied.
Somewhere...
Richard's phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID displayed only two words.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Richard answered on speaker.
A distorted male voice filled the room.
"Mr. Hayes..."
A pause.
"You should have opened the envelope alone."
Click.
The call ended.
Everyone stood frozen.
The stranger wasn't just watching the mansion anymore.
He knew exactly what they were doing inside.
May you like
End of Chapter 4
→ Chapter 5: The Hidden Listener
