Noah’s letter
776 Words
Chapter 9
The drive back to Ethan’s office was silent.
Rain began to fall again, tapping gently against the windshield.
Amora sat in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the rusted metal box resting on her lap.
Inside it was the letter.
A letter Noah had written eight years ago.
A letter meant only for her.
She had imagined hearing from her brother a thousand different ways over the years, but never like this.
Not through a letter buried beneath an old oak tree.
Not after eight years of silence.
Ethan parked behind his office and switched off the engine.
“We’re here.”
Amora nodded but didn’t move.
She was afraid.
Afraid that opening the letter would destroy the last bit of hope she had been holding onto.
Ethan seemed to understand.
“You don’t have to read it if you’re not ready.”
She looked at him.
“I’ve waited eight years.”
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the envelope and stepped out of the car.
⸻
Inside Ethan’s office, the curtains were drawn.
He locked the door behind them and checked the windows before turning to Amora.
“No interruptions.”
She sat on the worn leather sofa, carefully breaking the old wax seal.
The paper inside had yellowed with age.
Noah’s familiar handwriting filled the page.
Tears blurred her vision before she even read the first line.
Dear Mora,
If you’re reading this, then things didn’t go the way I hoped.
First, I need you to know one thing.
I never left you.
I never stopped fighting to come home.
A sob escaped her lips.
Every cruel rumor.
Every whispered accusation.
Every person who said Noah had abandoned his family.
They had all been wrong.
She wiped her tears and continued reading.
Someone very powerful discovered what I knew.
I found evidence that could destroy people who would rather kill than let the truth be exposed.
If they’ve failed to stop you from finding this letter, then you’re already in danger.
Amora’s hands trembled.
Ethan remained silent, giving her space.
She continued.
There is one person you can trust.
Ethan Cross.
He doesn’t know everything yet, but he has a good heart.
If you’re with him, you’re not alone.
Amora slowly lifted her eyes.
Ethan looked stunned.
“I’ve never seen that letter,” he said quietly.
“I didn’t know he wrote about me.”
She returned to the page.
The next paragraph was shorter.
Much shorter.
Don’t look for me.
Her heart stopped.
What?
She read it again.
Don’t look for me.
Look for the truth.
Some people are worth saving.
Others must be exposed.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“What does that mean?”
Ethan frowned.
“It means Noah expected something to happen to him.”
“But why would he tell me not to look for him?”
He didn’t answer.
Because neither of them understood.
Near the bottom of the page, one final message had been written in darker ink.
Trust your instincts.
The answers aren’t in the forest anymore.
They’re hidden where people keep their secrets every day.
Amora read the sentence aloud.
“Where people keep their secrets every day…”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“A bank?”
She shook her head.
“A courthouse?”
“No.”
He began pacing the room.
“A police station…”
Before he could finish, Amora looked up.
“The newspaper.”
He stopped walking.
“My newspaper?”
“No.”
She shook her head again.
“The Blackwood Gazette.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Noah worked there during his internship.”
“He told me once that journalists hear everything.”
She looked down at the letter.
“What if that’s where he hid his next clue?”
⸻
A loud knock interrupted them.
Both froze.
Three sharp knocks.
Exactly like before.
Ethan quietly crossed the room and checked the security monitor connected to the camera outside.
His face hardened.
“What is it?” Amora whispered.
“It’s Sheriff Daniel Brooks.”
Amora’s stomach tightened.
“The sheriff?”
Ethan didn’t move toward the door.
Instead, he switched off the monitor.
“I’ve been avoiding him for three years.”
“Why?”
“Because every time I get close to Noah’s case…”
He looked directly at her.
“…he somehow knows.”
Another knock echoed through the office.
Then the sheriff’s voice came through the door.
“Ethan.”
“I know she’s in there.”
“I just want to talk.”
Amora gripped Noah’s letter tightly.
For some reason…
She didn’t believe him.
- Writer
