The 365 Letters

Episode 7 — The Man Who Knew

The door slammed shut.

Ariana jumped back.

"Leon!"

She rushed toward the door and pulled the handle.

Locked.

She tried again.

Nothing.

"Move."

Leon pushed past her and examined the lock.

"Who locked us in?" Ariana asked.

"I don't know."

"You expect me to believe that?"

Leon ignored her.

He looked around the blue room, searching the walls.

Ariana watched him carefully.

"You knew this room existed."

"Yes."

"You knew my father."

"Yes."

"You were with him in 2011."

Leon stopped.

Ariana stepped closer.

"Then tell me what happened."

His jaw tightened.

"I can't."

"Can't?"

"I won't lie to you."

"Then don't lie. Tell me the truth."

Leon looked at her.

"The truth is dangerous."

Ariana laughed bitterly.

"My father is dead. Someone is sending me letters from beyond his grave. My mother has been hiding a secret room from me. And now I'm locked underground with a man who knew my father."

Her voice broke.

"I think I'm past being afraid of the truth."

Leon stared at her for a moment.

Then he walked toward the old cabinet.

"This is what they were looking for."

Ariana followed him.

"What?"

Leon pointed at the cabinet.

"Whatever your father left behind."

She looked at the lock.

"Can we open it?"

Leon pulled a small metal object from his pocket.

Ariana immediately noticed it.

"You carry that around?"

"I was hoping I would never need it."

He inserted it into the lock.

Click.

The cabinet opened.

Inside were dozens of files.

Photographs.

Old newspapers.

A small black notebook.

And one sealed envelope.

Ariana reached for the envelope.

Her name was written on it.

ARIANA HART

Her heart began pounding.

"This is for me."

Leon didn't stop her.

She carefully opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

She recognized the handwriting immediately.

Her father's.

Ariana,

If you have found this room, then the truth has already started coming back.

There are people who will tell you that I deserved what happened to me.

Don't believe them.

I made mistakes. But my biggest mistake was trusting the wrong person.

The person closest to me betrayed me.

And that person is still close to you.

Ariana's eyes moved slowly across the final line.

Still close to you.

She looked at Leon.

"Who?"

Leon didn't answer.

"Who is still close to me?"

His silence frightened her more than any answer could have.

"My mother?"

Leon shook his head.

"My sister?"

"No."

"My uncle?"

Leon looked away.

Ariana's eyes widened.

"You know who it is."

"I know who I suspect."

"Then tell me."

Leon took a breath.

"Victor Blackwood."

Ariana frowned.

"Who?"

"Your father's business partner."

Ariana stared at him.

"I've never heard that name."

"Exactly."

Leon opened one of the files.

Inside was an old newspaper article.

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN MISSING AFTER FINANCIAL SCANDAL

A photograph showed her father.

Beside him stood another man.

Victor Blackwood.

Ariana read the article quickly.

Her father's company had been accused of transferring millions of dollars into secret accounts.

Her father had denied everything.

Three days later, he disappeared.

Two weeks later, his body was found.

Ariana's hands began shaking.

"Why didn't I know about this?"

"Because the story was buried."

"By who?"

Leon looked at her.

"Your family."

Ariana stepped back.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"No."

She shook her head.

"My father wasn't a criminal."

"I didn't say he was."

"Then why would my family hide this?"

Leon picked up the black notebook.

"Because this wasn't about money."

He opened it.

Most of the pages were filled with numbers and names.

Ariana leaned closer.

Then she saw one name.

ORION.

Her stomach dropped.

"What's Orion?"

Leon immediately closed the notebook.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Why?"

"Answer me."

"My father wrote about it."

Leon stared at her.

For the first time, Ariana saw genuine fear in his eyes.

"Your father shouldn't have written that name."

"Why?"

Before Leon could answer, they heard a loud sound above them.

Someone was walking through the library.

Ariana looked toward the door.

"Someone is here."

Leon grabbed her hand.

"We need another way out."

He pulled her toward the wall.

"There's a second exit."

"How do you know?"

"I helped your father build it."

Ariana stopped.

"You what?"

Leon pushed aside an old wooden panel.

A narrow passage appeared.

"We don't have time."

Ariana followed him.

They entered the passage just as the blue-room door opened behind them.

Someone stepped inside.

Ariana looked back.

She couldn't see the person's face.

But she heard their voice.

A whisper.

"Find them."

Leon closed the hidden door.

Darkness surrounded them.

Ariana held onto his arm.

"Leon..."

"Don't speak."

They moved through the narrow passage.

After several minutes, they reached a metal door.

Leon pushed it open.

They emerged behind the old garage.

Cold night air hit Ariana's face.

She breathed deeply.

They were outside.

Safe.

At least for the moment.

Leon turned toward her.

"Go home."

Ariana stared at him.

"You're joking."

"No."

"You think I'm going home after everything I just discovered?"

"It's the safest place."

"My family is involved."

"Exactly."

She stepped closer.

"You said you know who killed my father."

Leon looked at her.

"I do."

"Then tell me."

He hesitated.

Finally, he whispered:

"Your father wasn't killed the night you were told."

Ariana's blood ran cold.

"What?"

"He survived."

She stared at him.

"Then where is he?"

Leon looked toward the dark road.

"He disappeared because someone threatened to kill you."

Ariana couldn't speak.

"Your father chose to let the world believe he was dead."

"Why?"

"Because it was the only way to keep you alive."

Ariana's eyes filled with tears.

"Then why didn't he come back?"

Leon looked directly at her.

"Because he couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because the person who threatened you..."

He paused.

"...was your mother."

Ariana's world went silent.