Chapter 31

**CALEB**

While Elena has just gone upstairs with Jacob and Matt, Theo, Finn and I are tidying up the house, which everyone else has deserted.

I suddenly let go of the garbage bag I'm holding when a familiar smell hits my nostrils. I open the front door before he can touch it and force him to step back so I can close it behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

"I've come to give my condolences to the family." My father dares to reply with a smug smile.

"Seriously?" I ask him, rolling my eyes. "You didn't give a shit about Arthur and you don't give a shit about Elena so I'll ask you again. What are you..."

"Don't you fucking talk to me like that?" He tells me through gritted teeth. "As I told you, I wanted to give her my condolences. That's all." He shakes his head. "But as her watchdog..."

" Get lost. Honestly leave unless you want to answer my questions."

He clenches his jaw and walks back to his car without a word. I watch him turn his back on me and drive away in his car. He'd rather turn his back on me than answer any questions.

As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't think I can close my eyes any longer and not consider that he was indeed involved in the death of Elena's parents.

I go inside and Theo asks me if I want to talk about it. I shake my head because I need to think things through before making assumptions.

Once everything is in place, I open the bay window at the back of the house and sit down on the terrace. Finn and Theo join me without a word and sit down next to me. The latter hands me a beer, which I accept.

"I think my father had something to do with the murder of Elena's parents, the death of Theo's father and the disability of Finn's father," I say them out loud for the first time, and the silence I face is overwhelming. "We'd have to start with Finn's father. He's still here then, he'll surely be able to teach us things, but my father mustn't in any way know about what we're doing. If he suspects we're sticking our noses into his business... only the goddess knows what he might be capable of."

"I'm in," Finn says to me first.

"Me too," Theo adds.

We continue drinking our beers in silence when Finn chuckles softly.

"To think we kept Elena away for just that reason. Because your father was afraid she'd stick her nose in his business." He shakes his head in amusement. "And we're going to help her do that."

"We all need answers. This has gone on too long." Theo adds seriously.

"We just have to come up with a plan. A plan as solid as concrete." I tell them.

**ELENA**

We went through all the documents, one after the other, and I put my signature on each one, so my right hand itched.

"Well, we're done. I'll go and let you get some rest." Jacob tells me before picking up his things. He rises from his chair and kisses my temple before leaving the room, leaving Matt and me alone.

Matt clears his throat, closing his briefcase. "I'll be off too." He puts his hand on the handle and turns around. "I hope you get your answers... you deserve them. And you deserve to be happy and even if it kills me to admit it." He runs his hand through his hair. "Those three guys can make you happy, I can see it now." He exits and closes the door behind him without me having time to react to his words.

I stare at the door for a moment, then at the pile of documents in front of me. I open one of the desk drawers to put them inside. As I put the documents down, I notice that one of the corners of the drawer rises. Is that a fucking double bottom? I put the documents back and pull on the piece of wood, which comes loose with some difficulty. There's nothing at the bottom, but when I turn over the plate in my hand, a key is taped to it. It's a small golden key with the number 1807 engraved on it.

As I stare at this key in my hand, the door swings open and Theo sticks his head through.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You've been here a while."

"Yeah... I..." I shake my head.

"Were you lost in thought?" He asks as he moves closer to me.

"Exactly."

"What's that? It looks like... but yes it is." I look at him, frowning. "My father had the same one. It's one for a safe deposit box at the bank."

"I just found it in the double bottom of the drawer. I didn't even notice it when I was sorting through his stuff."

"It must have become brittle when it was restored."

"You're certainly right."

A chest? At which bank? To put what in? In any case, it must have been important for him to put the thing in a safe-deposit box at the bank. I look at this key and can't help but wonder if this tiny key might provide the answers I've been looking for for so long.

As if reading my mind, Theo kisses me on the top of my head. "We're going to help you. To find out what this key opens and find out what happened with your parents. When you're ready, we'll explain it all to you."

"I'm ready. I've been ready since I decided to come back here."