The floorboard creaked under my foot like it had been waiting years to give up its secret.
I froze in my mother's empty bedroom, dust motes swirling in the thin shaft of light from the shuttered window. The estate was still locked down tight after last night's chaos, but I could not sit still any longer. Answers about the heist that ruined my family had to be here somewhere. I dropped to my knees and pried at the loose board with trembling fingers.
It lifted easier than expected. My heart slammed against my ribs as I reached into the dark space below. My hand closed around a worn leather diary, its edges cracked and faded. I pulled it out, flipping it open to the first page. Father's handwriting. Sharp and familiar.
"Damien," I whispered to myself, "you are not going to like this."
Foo
