At dawn, Harper slipped into The Silver Eclipse through the rear entrance. The dining room lay dim and silent. Roland guided her toward a storage space stacked with wooden crates. Behind them rested a metal box. He produced a small key and opened it. Inside was a worn envelope, a photograph, and a passport. The photograph captured a young woman with kind eyes, one hand resting gently on a rounded belly. On the back, written in elegant script, were the words:
For my Harper. My greatest gift.
Harper brushed her fingers over the ink as though it were something holy. The passport displayed a different name. Natalie Brooks. Roland extended the envelope to her. “This is from her.”
Harper unfolded it with care. Her mother’s handwriting curved across the pages.
“My beloved daughter. If you are reading this, it means you are ready. I left to protect you. I was threatened. I made a choice that broke my heart. I built a new life under another name. I never stopped thinking of you. If you wish to find me, come to a café in Savannah called The Driftwood Room. Every Sunday morning I sit by the window. I wait for you. I love you forever. Mother.”
Harper’s breath trembled. “She is alive,” she whispered. Her phone vibrated. Detective Morgan Hale.
“We opened a locked safe belonging to the Calloway family. There was another letter from your mother. And a recent photograph. She is alive. You can find her.”
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