The mystery was too heavy to carry. Sarah knew she couldn’t wait until the weekend or pretend she hadn’t seen the footage. The next day, she took a half-day off from work, arriving home quietly at 1:45 PM. She left her car down the street so Elena wouldn’t notice her arrival, and slipped into the house through the side garage door.
She waited upstairs in the hallway, counting down the minutes. At exactly 2:00 PM, just like clockwork, Elena walked up the stairs, entered the master bedroom, and stepped into the walk-in closet, clicking the door shut.
Sarah waited three minutes, giving Elena time to settle. Then, her heart hammering against her ribs, Sarah walked to the closet, turned the brass handle, and pushed the door open. Elena was sitting on the ottoman with the diary open on her lap, holding the silver frame tightly, tears fresh on her cheeks. She gasped, dropping her hands in absolute terror.