Chapter 8: The Duplicate Key
811 Words
Ava stared at Victor, convinced she had misunderstood him. The brass key in her pocket suddenly felt heavier than before, as though it carried the weight of every unanswered question. She searched Victor’s face for some sign that he had made a mistake, but the concern in his eyes only confirmed that he believed every word he had just spoken. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as a frightening thought settled into her mind. If someone else possessed a duplicate key, then Ethan’s secret was no longer safe.
“That’s impossible,” Ava said, shaking her head. “Ethan told me that safety deposit box could only be opened with the original key and his biometric authorization. He was very particular about security.” She remembered standing beside him one afternoon while he laughed about never trusting digital passwords alone. At the time, she had teased him for being overly cautious, and he had simply smiled without explaining why. Looking back now, she realized he hadn’t been paranoid. He had been preparing for something he hoped would never happen.
Victor slowly removed his phone from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. “The bank’s security director has worked with me for years,” he explained. “Whenever someone accesses one of Ethan’s private assets, I receive an encrypted notification.” He unlocked the screen and handed the phone to Ava. The notification displayed only a few lines, but one sentence immediately caught her attention: Authorized access granted to Deposit Box 317 at 3:42 p.m.
Mia frowned as she read over Ava’s shoulder. “Could the system be wrong?” she asked quietly. “Maybe Ethan somehow opened it himself.” Even as she spoke, she knew how unlikely that sounded. Ethan was missing, possibly being held against his will, and the photograph on Mia’s phone proved he wasn’t walking freely into a bank. The room fell silent again as reality settled over them.
Victor sighed and leaned back against the armchair. “The system has never failed,” he said. “If it recorded an authorized entry, then someone either forced the bank to approve access or possesses credentials identical to Ethan’s.” He paused for a moment, his expression growing darker. “Neither possibility should exist.”
Ava walked toward the window, stopping just short of the curtains. She wanted to look outside, but fear held her back. Somewhere beyond those walls, strangers were watching her every move, waiting for a single mistake. She rested one hand against the cool glass and closed her eyes. Every answer seemed to create two new mysteries.
“What if this was Ethan’s plan?” she asked softly without turning around. “What if he arranged for someone he trusted to empty the deposit box before his enemies could get there?” The possibility gave her a small measure of hope. Ethan had always been several steps ahead in business. Perhaps he had been just as prepared for this.
Victor considered her words before answering. “If that were true, he would have told me. Ethan trusted very few people with sensitive matters, and I was one of them.” His voice carried no arrogance, only certainty. “He would never risk leaving you completely in the dark unless he had no other choice.”
Before Ava could reply, the apartment’s intercom buzzed loudly.
All three of them froze.
The sound echoed through the living room, breaking the tense silence that had settled over them. Mia instinctively reached for the volume control, but Victor lifted a hand, silently telling her to wait. They listened as the buzzing stopped, only to begin again a few seconds later.
Ava slowly approached the intercom panel mounted beside the front door. Her pulse quickened as she pressed the speaker button without saying a word. For several seconds, nothing happened except the faint crackle of static. Then a calm male voice filled the apartment.
“Mrs. Blackwood,” the stranger said politely. “A delivery has arrived for you.”
Ava exchanged a confused glance with Mia.
“I didn’t order anything,” she replied cautiously.
“I understand,” the man answered. “However, your husband arranged this delivery before he disappeared. He instructed us to place it in your hands personally.” His voice remained calm and professional, almost rehearsed. “He said you would understand once you saw what’s inside.”
Victor stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.
“Ask him who sent it,” he whispered.
Ava tightened her grip on the intercom.
“Who are you?”
There was a brief pause.
Then the stranger answered with five words that made Victor’s face turn completely pale.
“I’m a friend of Evelyn Blackwood.”
The apartment fell into stunned silence.
Evelyn Blackwood…
The mother Ethan believed had disappeared over twenty years ago.
- Writer
