Later that afternoon, a few neighbors joined the sheriff and his team to follow the map. They headed into the woods near Miller’s Creek, cutting through branches and overgrown brush until they reached the spot marked with the red “X.”
There, hidden beneath a pile of leaves and pine needles, was a wooden hatch. It looked like something out of an old movie — weathered but solid, with metal hinges and a rope handle.
They pulled it open slowly, expecting maybe an old storm shelter or a forgotten well. What they found instead was a small underground room, barely big enough for two people. Inside were a few dusty lanterns, some old folders, and a box of cassette tapes. But it was what was in the box that stopped everyone cold.
Inside were documents with names people in town recognized — business leaders, council members, even a past mayor — and a single photograph taped to the lid. In the photo was a woman standing in front of the same hatch, holding up what looked like the very same map.
And everyone recognized her immediately.
Continue to Page 4 – She Vanished Years Ago. Now Her Secrets Were Back