THE LAST LATER

CHAPTER FOUR: THE STRANGER

Lucy couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. Ever since she had visited Aunt Evelyn, there were moments—fleeting, subtle—where she felt eyes lingering on her. At first, she dismissed it as paranoia, the natural result of immersing herself in a web of secrets. But now, as the days passed, the sensation grew stronger.

One evening, while she was poring over the letters again, she noticed a shadow pass across the curtains. It was brief, but enough to set her heart racing. The rational part of her insisted it was just the wind or a passing neighbor. But the unease stayed with her, gnawing at the edges of her thoughts.

She resolved to be cautious but pressed on with her investigation.

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A KNOCK IN THE NIGHT

The clock on the mantle struck ten. Lucy’s house was silent except for the soft rustle of papers as she turned them over. A gentle knock broke the quiet, sending her pulse into overdrive. It was late—too late for casual visitors.

She approached the door cautiously, peering through the peephole. A man stood on her porch, older, with weathered features and piercing gray eyes. He wore a dark coat, the collar turned up against the chill of the night.

Lucy hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Finally, she opened the door just enough to speak. “Can I help you?”

The man’s gaze was steady, his expression unreadable. “You’re Lucy, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low but clear. “You’ve been asking questions about ADRIAN MATTHEWS.”

Lucy’s breath caught. The air between them felt charged, thick with unspoken meaning. “Who are you?” she demanded. “And how do you know that?”

The man glanced over his shoulder, as if ensuring they were alone. “We don’t have much time,” he said. “I can’t explain everything, but you’re treading on dangerous ground.”

Lucy’s frustration mingled with fear. “I’m not stopping until I know the truth.”

He leaned closer, his eyes searching hers. “Then you need to know this: the letters you found—they’re not just love letters. THEY’RE EVIDENCE. And if certain people find out you have them, you could be in serious danger.”

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AN OMINOUS WARNING

Lucy’s stomach churned. “Evidence? Evidence of what?”

The man stepped back slightly, lowering his voice. “It’s better if you don’t know—at least, not yet. The less you understand, the safer you’ll be. But if you insist on continuing, you need to watch your back.”

“I don’t understand. Who are you?”

He hesitated, as if weighing the risk of revealing too much. “Let’s just say I was close to Adrian. Closer than most people knew.”

Before Lucy could ask more, he turned and walked briskly into the darkness, leaving her standing in stunned silence. She wanted to call out, to demand answers, but the weight of his warning kept her rooted in place.

When she finally closed the door and locked it behind her, she leaned against it, her mind racing. Who was this man? And what did he mean by “evidence”? She had assumed the letters were a window into a f*******n love story, but now the stakes seemed far higher.

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A DECISION TO PRESS ON

The next morning, Lucy returned to the attic, her resolve hardened by the stranger’s words. She reread the letters, searching for hidden meanings in Rosa’s poetic phrases. One line stood out: “Our love will always be our greatest secret—one they can never take from us.”

Lucy wondered who “they” referred to. Could it have been Rose’s husband? Or was it someone else entirely?

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she needed to find the willow tree mentioned in the letters. The photograph she had seen offered a clue, but its background was nondescript, giving no clear indication of its location.

She called Aunt Evelyn, hoping for guidance.

“Aunt Evelyn,” Lucy began, “do you know of a willow tree connected to Grandma? One she might have visited with Rose or Adrian?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Yes,” Evelyn said slowly. “There was a willow tree. Your grandmother and Rose used to go there often. It was a sort of sanctuary for them.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“It’s on the edge of town, near the old Millstone Bridge. But Lucy, if you’re planning to go there, be careful. That place has its own ghosts.”

Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine. “Thank you, Aunt Evelyn. I’ll be careful.”

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A JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN

Armed with Evelyn’s directions, Lucy set out for the willow tree that afternoon. The sky was overcast, and the wind carried a chill that hinted at rain. Millstone Bridge was rarely used now, its once-sturdy planks worn and weathered with time.

Beyond the bridge, the land sloped gently downward to a clearing where the willow tree stood. Its branches hung low, swaying gently in the breeze like a sentinel guarding its secrets.

Lucy approached cautiously, her footsteps crunching on the gravel path. As she neared the tree, she noticed something unusual: the initials “A.M. & R.M.” carved into the bark. Her breath caught. ADRIAN MATTHEWS and ROSE MATTHEWS—had they been secretly married?

She ran her fingers over the carving, her mind racing with possibilities. If they had been married, what had driven them apart? And who would want to keep their union a secret?

A sudden rustling behind her snapped her out of her thoughts. Lucy whirled around, her heart pounding. The clearing was empty, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching her.

The letters, the stranger’s warning, the willow tree—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle too vast for her to comprehend. But one thing was clear: she was closer to the truth than ever before.

And someone didn’t want her to find it.