CHAPTER 6 — THE KEY INSIDE THE MUSIC BOX
CHAPTER 6 — THE KEY INSIDE THE MUSIC BOX
Beth knelt beside the cedar chest.
It had belonged to her father.
Her mother had always called it junk.
Old keepsakes.
Birthday cards.
Photographs.
Nothing valuable.
She lifted the lid.
Everything looked exactly as she remembered.
A faded baseball glove.
Hospital identification badges.
A stack of Christmas drawings she'd made as a child.
Then...
A small wooden music box.
Beth blinked.
"I've never seen this before."
Dominic crouched beside her.
"Don't touch it yet."
Detective Collins photographed it first.
Gloves were put on.
Only then did Beth gently lift the box.
It was heavier than it looked.
She turned the tiny brass key.
A soft lullaby filled the ruined apartment.
Halfway through the melody...
Click.
Everyone heard it.
"There."
Dominic pointed.
The bottom panel shifted open.
Inside rested a tiny waterproof capsule.
No larger than a lipstick tube.
Beth stared.
"My father hid this..."
Collins carefully unscrewed the cap.
Inside were two items.
A brass key.
And an old microfilm cartridge.
The detective's eyes widened.
"Oh..."
Dominic looked equally stunned.
"That's impossible."
Beth frowned.
"What is it?"
Dominic picked up the brass key.
He recognized the engraved number immediately.
C-117
His face turned pale.
"This is a vault key."
"What vault?"
He answered slowly.
"The old Lakeshore Trust Depository."
"It closed twelve years ago."
Collins shook his head.
"No."
"It officially closed."
He looked at the microfilm.
"But federal records say one underground vault remained active under sealed ownership."
Beth looked between them.
"So..."
"My father stole evidence?"
Dominic corrected her.
"No."
"I think your father protected it."
At that exact moment...
Miles away...
The elderly leader of the Falcone Syndicate received a phone call.
"They found the music box."
His smile disappeared.
"So the courier really gave it to his daughter."
"Yes."
"Should we eliminate her?"
The old man slowly stood.
"No."
"Not yet."
"If she opens that vault..."
"We'll finally learn where he hid the ledger."
He looked toward a massive wall covered in photographs.
One picture showed Beth.
Another showed Dominic.
A third showed Eleanor.
Red strings connected all three.
The old man whispered,
"Twelve years..."
"...and the game is finally beginning."
That evening, a forensic technician successfully scanned the microfilm.
Rows of names appeared.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police commanders.
Business executives.
Alongside each name...
Dates.
Dollar amounts.
Photographs.
And handwritten notes detailing decades of bribery, murder, and blackmail.
Detective Collins slowly lowered the screen.
"My God..."
Dominic didn't speak.
He recognized several names.
Some of those men still held powerful positions in Chicago.
If this information became public...
Entire governments could fall.
Beth looked at the endless list in horror.
"My father died protecting this?"
Dominic nodded grimly.
"I think he died trying to keep it out of the wrong hands."
Before anyone could say another word...
Every light in the forensic lab suddenly went dark.
Emergency generators failed to start.
The entire hospital fell into complete darkness.
Then...
From somewhere deep in the corridor...
A single gunshot echoed.
Followed by screaming.
And a voice over the emergency radio shouted:
"Intruders inside the building!"
Dominic instantly drew his pistol.
His eyes locked on Beth.
"They're here."
May you like
And somewhere in the darkness...
Someone whispered her name.
