A knock came again. Ms. D and I froze, fear and confusion rushing through us.
She quickly cleared her throat before raising her voice.
“We will be right out soon. Ryder has a lot to say to his father before he is buried. Please, let him have this moment,” Ms. D said to whoever was standing outside the door.
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence.
Then we heard footsteps slowly moving away, as if the person had finally decided to leave.
My heart slammed against my ribs. Ms. D’s eyes burned with certainty. She’d checked his pulse again, felt the faint thread of life no one else had noticed in the chaos.
I knew this room better than anyone. Hidden behind the heavy tapestry on the far wall was a narrow passage only my father and I had ever used. It snaked through the stone wall
